Architectural Cases

At the recent Frieze Los Angeles art fair, textiles emerged as a dominant and captivating artistic medium, transcending their historical categorization as mere craft. Artists skillfully integrated fabric into various forms, from wall hangings to sculptures and immersive installations, signaling a profound reevaluation of textiles within the contemporary art world. This resurgence highlights the medium's inherent versatility and its capacity for expressing complex narratives and abstract concepts, challenging conventional distinctions between fine art and craft. The notable presence and commercial success of textile-based works at the fair underscore a burgeoning appreciation for their structural, spatial, and storytelling potential among both critics and collectors.

Artists Redefine Textile Artistry at Frieze Los Angeles

The Santa Monica Airport, transformed into a sprawling exhibition space for Frieze Los Angeles, was abuzz with innovative textile displays. Noteworthy among these were the works of Yvonne Wells, Elise Peroi, and Marley Freeman, whose unique approaches to fiber arts captured significant acclaim. For decades, textile art faced marginalization, as exemplified by the initial reservations of artist Louise Bourgeois, who, despite her background in tapestry restoration, once viewed textiles as primarily decorative. However, a new generation of artists, building on the legacies of pioneers like Sheila Hicks and the Gee’s Bend quilters, has actively reshaped this perception.

Karina Argudo, co-founder of Helm Contemporary, a gallery known for its focus on fiber art, commented on this evolution, noting that fiber arts are now being recognized for their substantial structural and spatial possibilities. This paradigm shift was evident at Frieze, where fiber-based creations commanded attention and impressive sales, including a sculptural piece by Hicks fetching $350,000 and Christina Fernandez’s embroidered text panels exploring themes of labor and immigration.

Yvonne Wells, an 86-year-old self-taught artist from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, presented her distinctive quilts, characterized by a blend of jagged abstraction and vivid figuration. Her works, which depict diverse subjects from the Civil Rights movement to sea monsters, are held in prestigious collections such as the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Wells, represented by Fort Gansevoort gallery, humorously describes her style as "shaggy-raggedy with no direction," yet her quilts are rich with movement and narrative. Her journey into quilting began later in life, stemming from a desire to connect tactilely with fabric, a sentiment she describes as "fabric talks to you." Her Frieze debut was particularly successful, with businessman Ari Emanuel acquiring three of her pieces during the VIP preview. Wells continues to create, currently working on a quilt inspired by the Statue of Liberty and recent immigration events, finding renewed energy in her craft.

French artist Elise Peroi showcased her ethereal and architectural mixed-media installations, reflecting her background in textile design. Peroi, based in Arles, crafts immersive, lattice-like environments from silk and linen. Her installation, L’ocre du vent, exhibited at Carvalho’s booth, invited viewers to navigate through a series of freestanding structures adorned with suspended tapestries, creating a maze-like experience that drew inspiration from historic French tapestries, literature, philosophy, and the built environment. Peroi envisions her creations as "tiny cities" or "stories you can step into," drawing parallels to Italo Calvino’s works and philosophical concepts of space and body to blur the boundaries between architecture and landscape.

Marley Freeman, a rising star at the fair, grew up immersed in textiles through her father Paul Freeman’s antique textile shop, Textile Artifacts, in Los Angeles. Her Frieze presentation, in collaboration with Parker Gallery, fused her abstract paintings with a curated selection from her father’s collection, transforming the gallery booth into a vibrant fabric bazaar. This personal and tactile approach created an immersive, yet disarming, atmosphere that contrasted with typical sterile gallery settings. The integration of her family's heritage and a more grounded exhibition style led to remarkable success, with all her paintings selling by the fair's conclusion.

The increasing prominence of textile art at major international fairs like Frieze LA reflects a broader cultural shift. No longer confined to the crafts section, these works are being recognized for their profound artistic merit, conceptual depth, and market value. This phenomenon challenges traditional art hierarchies and celebrates the rich expressive potential of materials often overlooked. It's a reminder that art's boundaries are ever-shifting, constantly being redefined by innovative creators who dare to look beyond established norms.

A challenging period transformed into a creative opportunity for fashion stylist Maeve Reilly and her husband, Zach Quittman. Following their wedding in June 2024, their initial home was tragically lost in the devastating Palisades fire, an event Reilly described as profoundly impactful due to the loss of a safe and comforting space. The material losses were extensive, including irreplaceable fashion archives and notes from Karl Lagerfeld. Amidst this upheaval, a serendipitous connection emerged with interior designer Sarah Solis, a former fashion stylist herself, whose aesthetic deeply resonated with the couple. This chance meeting paved the way for a remarkable rebuilding journey, transforming their new Calabasas residence into a personalized haven.

Their collaboration began with a mutual admiration, as Reilly and Quittman were particularly drawn to Solis's own residence, which they regarded as their ideal home. Moving to Calabasas, they prioritized a sense of stability, especially for Quittman's teenage children, even if it meant adjusting to less space. The house they acquired had been recently renovated but lacked a distinct character, presenting a blank canvas for Solis to infuse with personality. The design process, though accelerated due to their temporary living situation, was driven by a shared vision to create a home that felt organically evolved rather than hastily furnished. Solis, employing her "small details, big feelings" philosophy, incorporated both vintage pieces and items from her bespoke Galerie Solis collection, like the rust velvet bed in the primary bedroom and 1970s Ligne Roset Cinna chairs, to achieve a layered and lived-in atmosphere. The couple's distinct fashion sensibilities influenced the home's color and material palette, with Reilly playfully noting her ability to "match" any corner of the house.

This design endeavor proved to be a restorative experience for everyone involved, underscoring the importance of trust and shared vision in creative pursuits. The project culminated joyfully by Christmas 2025, with their annual holiday gathering doubling as a housewarming celebration. This event marked not just the completion of a physical space but also a triumph over adversity, symbolizing new beginnings and the power of collaboration to overcome loss. It demonstrated that even after immense challenges, a year can bring about profound positive change and renewed hope.