Directory:Robi Szalay (Textile Artist)

Robi Szalay is a Textile Artist from Perth, Australia.

She began her creative career after winning the ‘Evening Wear Sensation’ category at the Smales WA Fashion Design Awards in 2000 for a body piece made entirely from wire and beads. Her work was swiftly taken up by two of Perth’s most prestigious boutiques, Elle and Pallas Bride. Two years on saw her take out two additional awards at the same event, well and truly establishing her career in the fashion industry as a jewellery artist.

Keen to broaden her creative talents, Robi began a Bachelor of Arts (Art) degree at Curtin University leaving in 2006 with two Dean’s Commendations for Academic Performance.

Robi has since been developing an arts practice primarily involved with textiles and print media. Stitch features strongly in her work, however she also explores many other techniques, one being ‘boro boro’, a Japanese expression, roughly translating as worn, ragged or frayed. By these means the medium is imbued with expressiveness where ‘time’ becomes part of the end product.

With this in mind, Robi views her work, not only as surface design, but also as drawings, whether they be a simple hanging, stretched over a frame or worn on the body.

Robi’s most recent accolades have been winning ‘Best Local Artist Award’ in the City of South Perth Emerging Artist Awards in October 2008 and taking out the textile category at the City of Melville Art Awards in May 2009.

Szalay. Photo by Peter Zuvela

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