Olivia Chmura
I am passionate and driven to achieve the best possible outcomes in both my work and personal space, my life’s decisions and experiences are key drivers for my hardworking, creative and innovative approach.
This collection is primarily inspired by my family’s surname Chmura, which means cloud. It originates from Poland and the theory is that it belonged to the people who lived in the mountains – near the clouds. I have focussed on the Bieszczady Mountains, as my family comes from this area and it is a place where I have many childhood memories from.
My collection aims to capture the beauty of the landscape, as it is ever changing, not only due to climate change but also due to political influences. This collection is built to be an exhibition piece of story telling, however the individual landscape prints can be used as stand alone textile art pieces for an interior space.
For the initial inspiration for this collection, I really focussed on the origin of my surname and where I grew up. The Bieszczady Mountains are full of wild life and history, with the endless mountains, acres of fields, the Solina Lake and the Bieszczady Angels. I wanted to ensure that my Polish Heritage was clearly visible through the handcrafted aspects in my work, therefore I also experimented with Natural Dyeing and used local natural products for the dyes, as they have been traditionally used in the region.
I honed in on my printing skills and recreated my landscapes in print form using only Natural Dyes. I then carefully added embroidery to my pieces, to help enhance and beauty and detail of these landscapes.
Diploma in Professional Studies
13 Month Placement in Fashion Buying & Merchandising