Karen Burkart, Ribbon Artist

The stunning effects of three-dimensional ribbon art, combined with the vibrant hues and varying colors of hand-dyed silk ribbons, inspired me to become a ribbon artist.

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The broader art of using ribbons as a medium reaches far back in history in both China and Japan. Examples of ribbon art, using scrapes of silk, date back to the Hun Dynasty which began in 206 BC. In the 1600s silk was produced in France specifically for silk ribbon embroidery; this art had a resurgence of popularity in the Victorian Era in the 1800s. Silk ribbon embroidery resurfaced again in the Roaring Twenties.

 

Despite its historical popularity, ribbon embroidery - and ribbon art more broadly - is now an uncommon art form; it is even a challenge to purchase supplies.

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I am pleased to breathe life back into this art form through my work of original designs with each piece uniquely made by hand. I consider myself a creator of a lost art and my customers to be purveyors of a lost art.