Richard Killeaney is a man in motion. His American Fabric Arts Building studio echoes with the sounds of pressing, cutting and sewing as he creates gorgeous quilts, pillows, bags and more using luxurious repurposed fabrics. Richard’s work makes an impressive artistic statement and has been featured in numerous shows, most recently the New British Museum of Art.
From the Artist's website
What we love about Richard’s work is that it is explicitly, overtly meant to be used. To display one of his quilts on the wall is perhaps a natural instinct, born of aesthetic appreciation, but to truly understand the entirety of the work means living with it as an object; to revel in the quilt’s nuanced textures and comforting warmth. The bags Richard creates are among Bridgeport’s most essential fashion accessory, combining eye-catching sculptural lines with a profound pragmatic appeal.
“The fine art world often relegates fiber-related fine art to the craft world,” Killeaney recently told PMC magazine. Rather than step away from the craft label, Richard, who received his BA in studio art from Hobart College and a MFA in Textiles from the Rhode Island School of Design, is seeking to redefine it. “It’s like the word craft has become both pejorative and naughty, which makes me love it more.”
In addition to producing an ever-expanding body of work, Richard teaches textile design to select
students at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, The Art Institute of New York City, and his alma mater, The Rhode Island School of Design.
From the Artist's Etsy
Richard’s work is available on a commission basis, as well as through his Etsy shop,
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Ocheltree. He welcomes studio visits by appointment.