Simone Elizabeth Saunders made a significant impact in the international art world with her tapestries that celebrate Black female leaders and social justice advocates, challenging historical racial narratives and showcasing strength and inner beauty.
Saunders’ works sell for tens of thousands of dollars and are housed in museum and private collections across North America. They foster positive social and political change by encouraging young people to contribute to a brighter future. More about her life and artistic journey can be found at calgaryski.net.
From Theatre to Textiles
Simone earned a degree in Dramatic Arts from the University of Alberta and worked for ten years in Toronto as an actress and set designer. However, inspired by scenography (the art of theatre design), she decided to pursue a second education in the field.
In 2020, at the age of 37, Simone earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with honors from the University of Alberta. During her studies, she learned about the tufting gun. Over the summer, Simone taught herself how to use the gun and a punch needle, then began creating intricate weavings based on her own drawings.
As Saunders told RBC Royal Bank, both of her parents nurtured her development as an artist and activist. Her mother encouraged and supported her interest in piano, painting, dance, and drama from a young age. Her father helped her understand the history of the Black community throughout his life.
In 2020, Saunders won the national BMO 1st Art! competition and received $15,000. Following the competition, her works were featured on CBC Television and in Canadian House and Home magazine, as well as in various U.S., U.K., and Netherlands media.
Her textile portraits gained popularity on Instagram, and in just two years, they made her a local star in Calgary. In 2021–2022, the Contemporary Calgary public gallery held the most attended exhibition of Saunders’ work compared to other shows. In March 2023, Claire Oliver Gallery in New York hosted a solo exhibition of Simone’s works.
In addition to private collectors, her portraits have been acquired by American institutions, including the Mint Museum (Charlotte, North Carolina) and the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Minneapolis, Minnesota).
Tufting Technique
Simone’s works are created using the ancient technique of tufting, originally used to make warm clothing, especially mittens. During the Middle Ages, artisans created small designs on clothing and large tapestries with this technique. Later, tufting was adapted for rug making. The name comes from the English word “tuft.”
At the end of the 19th century, tools similar to punch needles were developed, which allowed seamstresses to insert thick threads into fabric, resulting in plush rugs or raised patterns. In 1995, enthusiasts Amy Oxford and Heidi Whipple invented the punch needle, which simplified the process, although the time investment remained high. In the 1930s, the first tufting gun for rug making was created in Dalton, Georgia. It weighs almost 3 kg.
Saunders refers to her own textile art style as “Black Art Nouveau,” referencing the late 19th and early 20th-century Art Nouveau style known for its flowing lines and organic forms.
Tufting combines elements of embroidery, rug making, and even painting, except the artist works on fabric instead of canvas and uses threads instead of paint. The technique gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic when millions of people were forced to stay home for months.
To create such a piece, a basic set is needed (whether using a punch needle or a tufting gun): jute, linen, or cotton fabric as the base; wool, acrylic, or cotton threads; a frame; adhesive; and scissors or a fuzz trimmer.
Bringing Black Stories to Life
The true hallmark of success for Simone has been the recognition of her work by countless young Black girls who eagerly contributed to the creation of her pieces. At the same time, the international anti-racist Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum, fighting violence against Black communities. Demonstrations against police violence and racial discrimination in the U.S. legal system put the Black community in the spotlight, and art institutions began to focus on artists depicting Black people. This helped boost Saunders’ success.
Simone’s works aim to bring the personal stories of Black women to life and unite them through vibrant and colorful fabrics. The motifs and iconography of her works are drawn from the heritage of Jamaica, her father’s homeland, as well as global art, literature, and music history.
Her works reinterpret iconic figures and gestures in a contemporary light, as seen in Star Gaze, where a young woman lies in her “Black Lives Matter” t-shirt.
The four works in the Four Queens series are reminiscent of Czech artist Alphonse Mucha’s “Gems.” In Four Queens, Saunders depicted powerful women posing provocatively above calls for Black love, Black dreams, Black magic, and Black power.
The tapestries feature prominent Black leaders such as singers Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Nina Simone, tennis player Serena Williams, and more.
The dynamic backgrounds of the pieces, often featuring feminist expressions in the form of moons or blooming flowers, evoke thoughts of cycles and connections with nature. Often, you can see totems of predatory animals like jaguars, leopards, and snakes, symbolizing strength and grace. Repeated ideologies of powerful beings are embedded in the work as talismans. The narratives are created through cultural mythology, history, and landscapes.
The contrast is further enhanced by the combination of powerful connotations with a soft, tactile color palette. The threads are made of acrylic, wool, and velvet. This creates a delicate, vulnerable, and seductive edge that counters the perception of Black women as harsh or evil. Additionally, the mixing of individual yarns into a cohesive whole mirrors the interconnectedness of the depicted subjects. Despite representing joy and resilience, these powerful portraits are woven together into a narrative about connection and a profound sense of belonging.
It Matters
The work It Matters is particularly special for Simone. It is a textile wall portrait of a figure wearing a mask with dreadlocks and a hoodie. This piece won her the pivotal BMO 1st Art! competition.
She created it at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when the unjust treatment of Black people, especially in the U.S., was escalating, particularly after mask mandates were issued. Black men in masks were stopped and questioned by security guards, while white individuals were not. According to Simone, the pandemic further divided communities.
The artist’s work is an unstoppable force for cultural renewal, igniting a spark of hope and vitality in marginalized communities.