Leah

Cooke

Although formally trained in drawing, painting and printmaking, Leah Cooke can’t help but express herself though fabric: the textures of cloth, the patterns, the sensual nature of its movement, the weight of it and simply the touch of it, always draws her in. Fabric holds memories: in a scarf worn, a silk dress, a blanket that covers and warms. It is like no other medium. Everyone understands it, lives with it. It is pure color, or with the transparency of fabric, it is subtle and muted. Leah uses fabric as her palette, rather than paint. Working from a sketch, the work evolves on the wall, like working on a canvas but with thread and woven material. Her themes are simple, figurative: nature and time. A co-recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Grant, Hollis Sigler, an American painter, and Leah collaborated on a quilt together that was exhibited in Chicago side-by-side with paintings. Throughout the years, her path has led to artist residency, commissions and exhibitions of art quilts in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe. Leah currently lives and works in Cary, North Carolina.

Collage/Assemblage, Fiber Art

Artbyleahcooke.com

@artbyleahcooke