Liz Williamson

Liz Williamson
Born
Elizabeth Blanche Williamson

(1949-06-09)9 June 1949
Carisbrook, Victoria, Australia
Died15 August 2024(2024-08-15) (aged 75)
Sydney, New South Wales
Alma materUniversity of New South Wales
Known forWeaving, textile education

Elizabeth Blanche Williamson (9 June 1949 – 15 August 2024), better known as Liz Williamson, was an Australian textile artist. She founded education in textiles at the College of Fine Arts in Sydney.

Early life and education

Williamson was born in Carisbrook, Victoria on 9 June 1949.[1][2] At the University of Melbourne she completed a bachelor of economics and commerce degree (1967–1970).[2]

While travelling through Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Europe (1973–1977), she observed how whole communities were involved in the production of textiles, "each artisan – whether a farmer, spinner, dyer, weaver, embroider or tailor – plays a significant part in the whole".[3]

She took a weaving course in Castlemaine in 1977, which led her to study for a bachelor degree in textile design at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (now RMIT University).[2] She later graduated with a master of fine art from the University of New South Wales.[4]

Career

Williamson created her first piece of weaving using wool from Lochinver, the farm in Victoria where she grew up. The wool was spun by hand and coloured with plant dye. This practice underpinned her artistic career.[3]

Having founded education in textiles in 1997 at the College of Fine Arts in Paddington, Sydney, now part of the University of New South Wales, she served as Head of the Design School (2008–2013) and went on lecturing in textiles until 2020.

Williamson contributed to a number of exhibitions, including the 8th International Triennale of Tapestry held in Lodz, Poland in 1995[5] and the 1998 International Lace Exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.[6]

Under her leadership, her students contributed artworks to decorate the Sydney Children's Hospital in 1998.[7] Ten years later, College students undertook a project to repurpose street banners that had promoted City of Sydney events to create new items, rather than landfill.[8]

In 2007 she was commissioned to design fabric to upholster furniture and cover cushions for Government House, Sydney.[9]

Her work is held in the National Gallery of Australia,[10] the National Gallery of Victoria[11] and the Art Gallery of South Australia.[12]

Williamson died on 15 August 2024.[1]

Garland magazine dedicated its September 2024 issue to her memory. The edition was edited by Robyn Phelan and coincided with the 60th anniversary of the World Crafts Council.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b "Elizabeth WILLIAMSON Obituary (2024) - The Sydney Morning Herald". Legacy.com. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Liz Williamson". Design & Art Australia Online. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b Griffiths, Blake (1 June 2024). "Warp, Weft and Williamson". Art Monthly Australasia. Winter 2004 (339): 46–51.
  4. ^ Williamson, Liz (2006). A visible thread : investigating the notion of invisibilityvisibility in darning as a source of imagery for contemporary practice (Master of Arts thesis). UNSW Sydney. doi:10.26190/unsworks/7953. hdl:1959.4/62391. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  5. ^ "A Dynamic Visual Culture For Australia". Annual Report of the Australia Council: 38. 1995. ISSN 0725-7643. Retrieved 9 July 2025 – via Trove.
  6. ^ Ainger, Susanne (22 May 1998). "Lace-makers setting international trends". Uniken (8): 4. Retrieved 9 July 2025 – via Trove.
  7. ^ Ainger, Susanne (25 September 1998). "Students design for Children's Hospital Some positive distractions". Uniken (15): 7. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  8. ^ "Second life for street banners". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 August 2008. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  9. ^ "The big house gets a grand retouch". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 July 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Liz Williamson". National Gallery of Australia. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  11. ^ "Liz Williamson". National Gallery of Victoria. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  12. ^ "Liz Williamson". The Art Gallery of South Australia. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  13. ^ Phelan, Robyn (ed.). "The table ✿ Well-crafted associations". Garland Magazine. Retrieved 9 July 2025.

Further reading

  • Cochrane, Grace (2008). Liz Williamson : textiles. Fishermans Bend, Victoria: Craftsman House. ISBN 9780980354065.
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