Words from Alice:
I am an illustrator and designer from Tāmaki Makaurau, currently living in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. I graduated from Elam School of Fine Arts in 2017 with a BFA (hons), and this year I have been studying for a Graduate Diploma in Textile Design at Massey University.

While studying from home during the Covid 19 lockdown I thought about what it might mean for the future of design in Aotearoa - will production return onshore, what work will there be in the
future? Our current neoliberal society has set competition as its defining relation. How can we slow down and approach this as illustrators, artists and designers? My rugs and vests were
created from an attempt to address this. I wanted to make something slowly, sustainably, something that would last and something that’s practical.

Each rug and knitted vest is based on a quick sketch exploring pattern, colour, depth, and repetition. The vests are handknitted by my grandmothers in Papamoa and Porirua. I make the rugs on a large frame in the corner of my lounge, using carpet wool sourced second hand from carpet factories and ex-rug makers. Once completed they are overlocked in Levin. They can be treated as wall hangings or put on the floor.

Both the vests and rugs are one-off pieces, and can be made to order at any size.