Born in Holland (1962), Martien van Zuilen is a fibre artist widely recognised for her creative excellence in the medium of handmade felt. She exhibits her distinctive artworks, and her work is published widely. Martien is one of Australia’s leading felting tutors with an extensive portfolio of national and international workshops across a broad range of topics. She is passionate about the role of the arts in community and counts herself lucky to be able to inspire others about the ‘magic’ of Felt in all its forms. Based in Perth, WA, Martien combines her studio practice with work in the not-for-profit arts sector.
Martien is the founder of the Victorian Feltmakers Inc, and The Australian National Yurt Project (1997-2016). From 2016 to 2023 she was the editor of FELT, Australia's national felt art magazine.
Since 2013 Martien is the Convenor of Fibres West Inc, a not-for-profit organisation responsible for hosting quality residential textile art workshops in Western Australia, attracting prominent fibre art teachers and speakers from all over the world.
A 4-month study tour of ethnographic felts in Europe, and time spent amongst nomadic people in Mongolia were pivotal to Martien's arts practice and other professional pursuits. She holds a degree in Social Work (Holland, 1983), an Associate Diploma in Art Textiles (Australia, 1989) and an Honours degree (US Masters) in Anthropology. In 2013 she completed her PhD (Anthropology) on textile creative practice and the meaning of making in contemporary Australia. This unique ethnographic study involved over 18 months of in-depth interviews and conversations with many textile art practitioners, and it made critical observations about the meaning of making within the visual arts and material culture realms.
Alongside her studio practice, exhibitions, teaching, and curatorial work, her artworks and essays appear in numerous international publications, including Showcase 500 Art Necklaces (USA); Pots & Pods for Feltmakers: Adventures in the Third Dimension (Australia); Yurts. Tipis and Benders (UK); FELT (Australia); Textile Fibre Forum (Australia); Felt/Filt (Denmark); Felt Matters (UK); Fiber Art Now (USA); verFilzt Und zugeNaht (Germany) and ViltKontakt (Netherlands).
Martien is the founder of the Victorian Feltmakers Inc, and The Australian National Yurt Project (1997-2016). From 2016 to 2023 she was the editor of FELT, Australia's national felt art magazine.
Since 2013 Martien is the Convenor of Fibres West Inc, a not-for-profit organisation responsible for hosting quality residential textile art workshops in Western Australia, attracting prominent fibre art teachers and speakers from all over the world.
A 4-month study tour of ethnographic felts in Europe, and time spent amongst nomadic people in Mongolia were pivotal to Martien's arts practice and other professional pursuits. She holds a degree in Social Work (Holland, 1983), an Associate Diploma in Art Textiles (Australia, 1989) and an Honours degree (US Masters) in Anthropology. In 2013 she completed her PhD (Anthropology) on textile creative practice and the meaning of making in contemporary Australia. This unique ethnographic study involved over 18 months of in-depth interviews and conversations with many textile art practitioners, and it made critical observations about the meaning of making within the visual arts and material culture realms.
Alongside her studio practice, exhibitions, teaching, and curatorial work, her artworks and essays appear in numerous international publications, including Showcase 500 Art Necklaces (USA); Pots & Pods for Feltmakers: Adventures in the Third Dimension (Australia); Yurts. Tipis and Benders (UK); FELT (Australia); Textile Fibre Forum (Australia); Felt/Filt (Denmark); Felt Matters (UK); Fiber Art Now (USA); verFilzt Und zugeNaht (Germany) and ViltKontakt (Netherlands).
Contemporary Felt Work and Hand-dyed Fibres
Site and Images copyright 2010-2015 Martien van Zuilen
Site and Images copyright 2010-2015 Martien van Zuilen