Jenny Brown's Dressed From a Book exhibition is on at Whanganui's Lockett Gallery. Photo / Bevan Conley
Jenny Brown's Dressed From a Book exhibition is on at Whanganui's Lockett Gallery. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui’s Lockett Gallery provides a space for book illustrators to show their original work, and the latest exhibition takes things one step further with a show inspired by illustrations.
Whanganui textile artist Jenny Brown’s Dressed From a Book is a display of beautifully hand-stitched dresses, dolls and book cushions inspired by children’s books.
“I had been making quilts inspired by book illustrations and I thought it would be fun to interpret the clothing so readers could be the characters they admire,” Brown said.
“Or they can feel closer to the character with a doll wearing the clothes.”
A ragdoll dressed in a bright yellow-and-red-striped dress with flowers on the front and stars on the back was inspired by Kirsten W. Larson’s book The Fire of Stars and the extraordinary illustrations by award-winning illustrator Katherine Roy.
“It’s a great book for nerdy girls who love science,” Brown said.
“It tells the inspirational story of Cecilia Payne who first discovered what stars are made of.”
Whanganui artist Jenny Brown wants children to enjoy wearing or snuggling up with her fibre artworks while reading their favourite books. Photo / Bevan Conley
The matching child’s dress was sold at the exhibition opening on Monday, along with some of the dolls and cushions.
“One of the dolls is on its way to a loved grandchild in England,” Brown said.
As a young reader, Brown was inspired by Astrid Lindgren’s novel Pippi Longstockingandwanted to dress like the bold and unconventional character in the book.
“I always imagined myself dressed up and becoming Pippi with her plaits, striped clothes and quirky outfits.”
Brown has made a range of dresses based on Laurel Snyder’s book Swan — The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova and inspired by Julie Morstad’s beautiful illustrations depicting the dancer in an array of coloured costumes.
“New children’s literature includes the less-pleasant aspects of stories and I like that,” Brown said.
“Anna Pavlova’s life wasn’t always easy and she had to work very hard. Aspiring ballerinas reading Swan learn about those aspects along with her fascinating story.”
Each dress has a matching crocheted basket and the dolls come with miniature versions.
Along with the dresses and dolls, Brown has created a range of themed book cushions. Each comes with a handle and pocket for the book, and the padded pieces can be spread on the floor or draped over a bed.
Brown, who studied textile design at the Wellington School of Design, said she always thought about where fibres came from, preferring to use repurposed and sustainable materials in her work.
“What I love about working with textiles is that it is easy to put down and pick up again,” she said.
“You’re not constrained by needing to complete it within a timeframe.”
Despite that, the work is labour-intensive and many hours of stitching have gone into each piece.
Dressed From a Book will be on at the Lockett Gallery, 65a Guyton St, until late April.
Liz Wylie is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. She joined the editorial team in 2014 and regularly covers stories from Whanganui and the wider region. She also writes features and profile stories.
