PATCHWORK
Manon Cardin
Please tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi I'm Manon. I am 33 years old and I currently live in the countryside near Paris, after several years of living in Paris. I share my life with my husband Virgile (photographer), my baby Simone, Pablo, our cat, and our dog Matisse. I have studied art, fashion, and sewing, and have been working within these fields. However, my main focus now lies in my work as an illustrator. For approximately one year, I have been actively involved in textiles and patchwork. What I truly cherish is being in nature, as it serves as my primary and favourite source of inspiration when it comes to my practice.
What first led you to quilting and illustration?
I started Illustration after working in fashion. I felt that I needed to return to creation, drawing, and colours. Last year I found my fabrics stock and started to draw some textile designs, and I like to say that it was the beginning of this new path.
How do you think that your education in Fine arts, has shaped your view of textiles? It helped to organise my thoughts in drawings and to simplify it for the textile part. It gave me a connection to colours and a good knowledge of the artistic culture.
How do you think that your education in Fine arts, has shaped your view of textiles?
It helped to organise my thoughts in drawings and to simplify it for the textile part. It gave me a connection to colours and a good knowledge of the artistic culture.
Were there any practitioners or other artists that early on influenced you?
Yes, so many. At the moment I am very inspired by the work of Annie and Joesf Albers, Hilma af Klint, and also vintage quilts from all over the world.
What are the process and the thinking behind your designs?
I start every project with a meticulous process of research, guided by a rich collection of art books that I have at home, pictures I gather from the exhibition Im attending, or vintage fashion books. After that I start to draw. Every creation came from a little drawing I made somewhere, be it at my desk, on the train, or sometimes in bed at night, and that´s why I always have a notebook with me.
Can you share your thoughts on the benefits of working with your hands, and how it affects your well-being?
Working with my hands is essential to my well-being. I always need to do something even if it’s not drawing or sewing, I do gardening or cooking. It helps me to calm my mind and makes me happy.
We know that you previously worked in high fashion. How did you decide to pivot to the textile arts and illustration?
High fashion was not for me anymore, so I naturally followed my instinct and I quit my job to find a more peaceful life, more connected to my art and nature.
Where do you think lies the biggest potential to preserve important local crafts and traditions?
It’s important to share and promote crafts and traditions everywhere it's possible and to carry out ancestral gestures that embody our rich heritage. I have the impression that the awareness in this direction is increasing and I find that great.
What is your greatest ambition now, when it comes to your practice?
I´d love to work on an exhibition with my textile pieces.
