MY COUNTRY BUSINESS

My designs blend influences from both East and West

KIRAN RAVILIOUS, PATTERN DESIGNER & LINO PRINTER

Kiran Ravilious ’ top-floor studio, nestled under the eaves of a screen-printing factory on the corner of a quiet street in Leicestershire, looks out over the urban rooftops – far removed from the lush greenery of tropical plants that surrounded her as a child growing up in Singapore, and which inspired many of her earliest designs.

‘I would often go to the Botanical Gardens and doodle for hours, and I used to love drawing trees as a child – you get such huge ones over there. But having lived in England for more than 15 years, you can see the influence of British plants in my work now. And the colours, which aren ’t as bright here – they are more muted, ’ Kiran explains.

Her repeat designs for wallpapers and fabrics, worked up from her initial hand-carved lino prints, feature leaf forms and abstract shapes, derived from her medley of Eastern and Western influences – from exotic ferns to the leaf of the majestic oak. ‘I like to be quite spontaneous; I don ’t have a lot of sketchbooks. Instead, ideas come to me and I’ll start drawing directly onto lino, then carve them out and print onto linen, ’ Kiran explains. what I like about handprinting: it is so instant, and I can see straight away how a design looks on fabric. Sometimes I will print just one or two motifs on my press, then transfer them to the computer and start playing with scale and colours. ’

Kiran updates her designs for each season – the feminine and subtle lilacs and pinks of a recent spring/summer collection contrasting with the reds and russets of autumn. ‘I have gone back to my roots a little for some of my designs, ’ she explains, ‘drawing on Indian culture and folk art influences and incorporating elements from these. ’

Alongside the fabrics and wallpapers, her designs are produced in a range of products, including serving trays, linen cushions, napkins, tea towels, stationery and lampshades, sold via her website and independent stockists.

Kiran demonstrated her creative side from a young age and was encouraged by her parents to follow her passion – her father, an officer in the Navy, was also artistic and would regularly spend time drawing with her and her brother. ‘I got into fine arts when I was in art college, but my parents were unsure about me taking that path as they knew it is so hard >

Kiran works on a new pattern surrounded by homeware and accessories featuring her range of designs

WhatIlovemost...

QUIET MORNINGS IN MY STUDIO, WHEN I AM ABLE TO SIT AND THINK OF NEW DESIGNS AND IDEAS

to make a living from being an artist, so I studied graphic design instead, ’ she explains.

After completing her degree, Kiran moved to London and quickly met her future husband, Ben.

‘We had a real connection; he is a creative thinker and appreciates what I do because he comes from a very artistic family, ’ she explains. Ben ’ s grandfather was the British painter, illustrator and wood-engraver Eric Ravilious, known for his charming watercolours depicting the scenic countryside of the South East.

It was following the birth of her first daughter, Jill, now 12, that Kiran felt inspired to create her own block-print designs. There is a strong heritage of wood-block printing in Asian culture, but she admits that perhaps, subliminally, she was also influenced by the wood carvings of Eric and his wife, the artist and engraver Tirzah Garwood.

‘It’ s hard not to be inspired by them. Sometimes it can be quite daunting because of the surname – everyone knows the name Eric Ravilious – but I’ m not his descendant. I try to do my own thing and have my own distinctive style, ’ she explains.

‘I had done some lino carving at art college, but there were a lot of failed experiments at first – such as using the wrong water-based inks, which would wash off; I learned through trial and error, ’ she adds, wryly. ‘I started off doing single image prints and creating big blocks, but after a while realised I needed to diversify and develop repeat patterns. ’

It took a few years for Kiran to perfect her first repeat designs for fabric and wallpapers, working from a shed studio in her garden after the birth of her second daughter, Nina, now aged nine. Her first collection was launched in 2013, and was soon spotted by Heal’ s, and the store commissioned her to produce a bespoke design. ‘It can take a while to fully develop a design. Even though the initial idea might be spontaneous, you have to put a lot of yourself and your energy into finalising it; weeks of work getting the right shapes that align with each other for the repeat patterns, ’ Kiran explains. ‘It involves a lot of juggling things around, and it’ s only when I look back that I realise how much work has gone into each design. ’

She chose to have her products digitally printed ‘because it is more environmentally friendly than screen printing. The quality of digital printing has improved so much in recent years, too, making it more accessible to young designers, ’ she adds. While she would like to expand her products to include a range of wool blankets in the future, ‘I want to keep it small, ’ Kiran explains. ‘I prefer a gradual and organic growth, moving at my own pace. ’

For more information about Kiran’s designs, visit kiranravilious.com

After hand printing the lino-cut design onto linen, Kiran will transfer it to the computer, where she will play around with colour and scale

These handmade lampshades are made to order in her range of fabrics

The interior of Stoneywell, a nearby Arts and Crafts house is a source of inspiration for Kiran

Kiran spends time perfecting repeat patterns for fabric prints