PAINT ON PAPER

Floral patterns, fantastical motifs and imaginative worlds of colour characterise this collection from textile house

Christian Fischbacher

Words EVE HERBERT

Anew collaboration between Christian Fischbacher and Malaysian-British artist Rebecca Duckett-Wilkinson explores their shared passion for design with a colourful and captivating capsule collection of decorative prints and embroideries alongside handmade cushions and rugs. Caught off-guard by the onset of the pandemic, Rebecca spent several months in Piedmont, Italy, where she set herself the creative goal of painting 100 patterns in 100 days. During this time, expressive works of art emerged inspired by her daily walks in the surrounding area capturing dream-like landscapes, the opulent colourfulness of seasonal change and the richness in detail of nature. At the peak of restrictions Rebecca could only venture 250m from home. As the surrounding area became more wild and overgrown, she found even more inspiration in aspects of nature she had previously not noticed. Rebecca also depicts from memory symbolic motifs including the cherry blossom and Malayan tiger which features in the capsule collection’s hero design.

The collection ‘100 Patterns in 100 Days’ sees textile house Christian Fischbacher bring to life a small snapshot of the 100 designs conceived by Rebecca. Together with long-time friend Creative Director Camilla D. Fischbacher, Rebecca translated her poignant library of paint on paper designs into textile form and in her original colour palette. A inspiring story of creativity in a time of turmoil, Rebecca’s detailed floral patterns, fantastical motifs and imaginative worlds of colour will add a flourish of artistic and original design to any interior.

Ikan is a cheerful fish motif digitally printed on a smooth medium-weight cotton ground. This characterful design captures the motion of energetic painterly brushstrokes and features a layered palette of colour and pattern. Blossom is a playful celebration of colour and pattern which sees a cheerful hot pink floral motif scattered across a geometric background. It is an exuberant design with an eclectic mix of colours that is digitally printed on a smooth, crisp cotton. Pinkweed is a charming composition of weeds and fallen leaves digitally printed on a medium-weight cotton weave. An indulgent depth of colour is explored in this scene through a bold combination of rich, vibrant tones. Poppy is a medium-weight fabric featuring a bright and bold wildflower motif. Digitally printed to perfectly capture the bloom’s vibrant scarlet red petals on a vibrant background of cobalt blue, this uplifting design is printed on a smooth cotton weave that captures the detail of this striking print. Dawon is a lustrous linen-cotton blend embroidery which features intricately embroidered Malayan tigers interspersed with stylised tropical banana leaves and flowers with an abundance of colour and vibrancy. The embroidered outlines of the design are combined with hand crewel work. For this centuries-old technique, originally from Kashmir, a particularly thick wool yarn is used, creating a design with a bold visual appeal, intriguing depth and soft handle. Harimau, meaning tiger in Malay, is a hand-knotted rug depicting a Malayan tiger amongst stylised bamboo leaves and flowers. The finest New Zealand wool is tied in a Tibetan knot to create a deep pile and silky soft feel. A percentage of sales from the collection’s tiger designs will be donated to the charity initiative “Save Wild Tigers”, a global tiger conservation campaign to raise awareness and help protect tigers around the world.