Artist : Sheila Hicks
My friend Neile Royston, gifted me a wonderful book a few years back called Sheila Hicks: Weaving as Metaphor. I had never heard of Hicks and was just beginning to be drawn into fiber at the time. Thanks to you, Neile ... you pretty much changed the direction in my art because of this book!
Image from Wonder-Collective.
Hicks is known for her large fiber installations and is now being recognized for her small weavings, often created on a handmade loom. The works are incredibly powerful, even if they are so small in size. I love this image because you can see the relationships between the works as well as understand their small scale.
Image from Full Circle
And here are some of the pieces up close. I prefer her smaller works
Hastings, wool and cornhusks, 1996. Shiela Hicks. Image from artnet.
Trout Quipu, 1964; woven, wool; 8 x 5 1/2 inches. Image from  Studio and Garden.
Here's what she says about her work, taken from the Browngrotta website:Â
Much as I am absorbed in the study of historical textiles and art, I try to challenge a status quo in my own work. Not by taking a radical approach – because I feel more comfortable with intriguing colors and balanced shapes – but by expressing the interconnectedness of disparate elements. By concentrating on essence and observing intrinsic qualities of materials I structure a small world of elegant incongruity.
                  Sheila Hicks
To read more about Hicks, check out The New York Times interview with the artist in 2006 and see her website here.