Zoe Williams is a needle-felting artist currently working in New York. Her art is astonishing.
“I started needle felting in 2008; my first pieces were rabbits, inspired by an important dream I’d had. Later I began working on a series of pieces inspired by dream animals which culminated with my solo exhibition, Somnium Bestia, in 2010. I’ve always been a great animal lover, so I guess it’s natural that animal imagery would dominate my work. I’m also fascinated by dream symbolism and mythology, so I strive to incorporate all of these elements into my growing menagerie.
“I’m currently working on several new projects, including a series based on critically endangered or extinct creatures. Gold Rhino is one of these, inspired by the Western Black Rhino which was recently declared extinct. I’ve nicknamed them “unicorns” because to me the unicorn epitomizes the magical, precious, and rare.
“I have a couple of group shows coming up, one in Brooklyn, NY and one in Port Townsend, WA:
Hey, Beautiful! Amos Eno Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, Feb. 1st – 25th, opening reception Thursday, Feb. 2nd –
“The second show will be in March, and I believe the opening reception will be Saturday, March 3rd. This one will be a two person show at Artisans on Taylor Gallery in Port Townsend, WA.
Zoe’s work simply floors me. Thanks to fantastic artists like our very own Moxie, my eyes have been opened to the potential of needle felted art, and Zoe’s pieces exemplify how great this art can be. The construction of the pieces is amazing and the way the animals grow from the walls, expanding past their natural boundaries is inspirational. It reminds me of the first time I saw Melissa Sue Stanley’s creations busting out of their frames.
It is great to see how Zoe’s work has developed over the years and I wonder what will come next. How big can she take these works?! I’m excited to find out. Visit Zoe’s website to enjoy more of this amazing needle felted art.
