Shirley Craven
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Shape by Shirley Craven, 1963
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Redland by Shirley Craven, 1963
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Born in Hull in 1934 and trained at Hull College of Art and the Royal College of Art, Shirley Craven was the most original printed textile designer of her generation.
After teaming up with Hull Traders in 1959, she played a pivotal role in the company for the next 20 years, creating over 40 arresting patterns. As colour and design consultant she was responsible for shaping their entire collection and had complete artistic control.
Strongly graphic and visually inventive, Craven’s designs are impossible to pigeonhole. More like paintings than conventional furnishing fabrics, their bold compositions, gigantic repeats and inspired colourways are unique in the history of pattern design.
"All my work is based on abstraction," she reflects.
"Sometimes it is an abstraction of a feeling - joy, sorrow, anger or love - but an abstracted landscape is often an abstraction of a feeling as well."
Craven instinctively worked in series - her designs are like variations on a musical theme. With each collection she struck out in a new direction. The improvisatory impulse - the desire to surprise - was a recurrent feature of her designs.
Craven’s designs were an immediate success, both critically and commercially. 'Le Bosquet' won a Design Centre Award in 1960, followed by 'Shape', 'Division' and 'Sixty-Three' in 1964 and 'Five' and 'Simple Solar' in 1968. These achievements are unmatched.
Shirley Craven flourished at Hull Traders, fulfilling her artistic potential and winning accolades for the firm.
"Shirley was a perfectionist," concludes Peter Neubert, managing director of Hull Traders.
"She produced a wonderful range of designs. They were like works of art."
Find out about other Hull Traders designers
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Curtain Up by Shirley Craven, 1970
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Five by Shirley Craven, 1967
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Lomax by Shirley Craven, 1965
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