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Deborah McKellar

Deborah McKellar

Alumni

Deborah McKellar completed a Master of Design, majoring in textiles at UNSW Art & Design. 

Born in South Africa, educated in Australia, and now living and working in Singapore, Deborah McKellar is an experienced and globally-oriented designer and creative. After completing her Master of Design at UNSW Art & Design, Deborah established Talking Textiles in Singapore, a company devoted to the production of fabrics and artworks intended as much for home and work interiors as for gallery exhibition. 

Specialty fabrics from Talking Textiles are renowned for their ability to provoke senses and evoke memories. Her design work explores five distinct categories:

  • The Singapore Shophouse, a collection of artworks inspired by Singapore’s architectural heritage and everyday scenes coupled with decorative elements;
  • Singapore Silkscreened, a body of work incorporating layered effects of coloured thread and silkscreened paint, which Deborah says are, “intended to take my viewer on a visual and tactile journey…”; 
  • Singapore in Black & White, a selection of fabrics showcasing black & white images of bungalows from British colonial times punctuated with vibrant overlays;
  • Abstract, a series created specifically to evoke the feeling of balmy heat and weather-patterns typical to an island located near the equator;
  • Botanical, a collection of fabrics with images that give the viewer a sense of being in a tropical garden. 

Deborah’s latest line – Singapore in Stitch – is still in-development. She’s currently experimenting with colours, images, and the layering options of flocking, stitchwork, gold leaf, and acrylic paint. She intends to focus on the textile trade in Singapore today while showing an appreciation for traditional techniques. Loosely titled Ready within 2-6 Hrs, this series aims to reveal the hard work and dedication behind some of the regions most beautiful fabrics.  

Those interested in a wider range of interiors fabrics - fabrics for everyday use - will be pleased to see the influences of Ming Dynasty painting, the intricacies of 'emperor robes' and footwear, early Peranakan art, and the many festivals celebrated in cosmopolitan crossroads Singapore.