Edwina Straub's textile-based fine art practice explores the intersection of traditional craft and contemporary design thinking. Drawing on extensive study of Central Asian ikat traditions and surface design techniques, her work investigates transformation, flow, and the dialogue between structure and spontaneity.

Working primarily in textile and mixed media, Straub creates layered compositions that honour historical techniques while pushing toward new visual language. Her pieces have been exhibited extensively in solo and group shows throughout Colorado and have been featured in publications including Thames & Hudson's Textiles: The Art of Mankind, Australian House & Garden, Belle, and Inside Out.

Straub holds Master of Fine Arts and Master of Science degrees in Design from Colorado State University, a Master of Design from UNSW Art and Design, and has completed specialized studies at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles and Anderson Ranch Arts Centre in Colorado. Her academic background informs a practice that balances rigorous technical skill with creative exploration.

In 2015, she was awarded the Woollahra Artist in Residence in Paddington, NSW. Her work has been recognized with the Super Supervised College Teacher Award and the Most Innovative Technique award, and she has received support from The Textile Museum in Washington D.C.

Based in Sydney, Straub continues to develop work that bridges her dual practices in fine art and interior design—both grounded in a commitment to material integrity, considered composition, and the transformative potential of thoughtfully crafted space.

Education

Master of Design
UNSW Art and Design, Sydney NSW, 2015-2020

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO, 2008–2011

Master of Science (MS), Design
Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO, 2009–2011

Certificate, Textile/Surface Design
Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles CA, 2012–2013

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Visual Arts
Naropa University, Boulder CO, 2005–2008

Additional studies: University of California Extension, Design Communication Arts (2011–2012); Anderson Ranch Arts Centre Summer Workshops (2006–2011); Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Merchandising (2002–2003)

Selected Solo Exhibitions

Digital Ikat Textiles, Gustafson Gallery, Colorado, 2012
Morphing, Nalanda Gallery, Colorado, 2011
Transformations of Central Asian Ikat, Hatton Gallery, Colorado, 2011
Abundance, Glass Box Gallery, Colorado, 2011
MFA Thesis Exhibition, UCA Museum, Colorado, 2011
Recent Works, International House, Colorado, 2011
Old Beginnings, New Traditions, Gustafson Gallery, Colorado, 2011

Selected Group Exhibitions

Fractions, Glass Box Gallery, Colorado, 2010
The Mind Without a Thought, Glass Box Gallery, Colorado, 2010
Flow I and Flow II, Mini Gallery, Colorado, 2010
Transcendental Spaces, Glass Box Gallery, Colorado, 2009
Fabric of Our Lives, Hatton Gallery, Colorado, 2009
Apparently Transparent, Glass Box Gallery, Colorado, 2009
Elegant Attractions, Nalanda Gallery, Colorado, 2008
Dialogue Between East and West, Lincoln Gallery, Colorado, 2007

Awards & Residencies

Woollahra Artist in Residence, Paddington NSW, 2015
Super Supervised College Teacher Award, Colorado State University, 2011
Most Innovative Technique Award, Colorado State University, 2011
The Textile Museum Annual Fall Symposium Scholarship, Washington D.C., 2010

Selected Publications

"Outdoor Fabrics," Australian House & Garden (October 2018): 215
"Hot Seats," Belle (May 2018): 81
"California Dreaming," Inside Out (February 2015): 108
Textiles: The Art of Mankind, Thames & Hudson (2012): 282–283
"Make It Your Own," Handwoven 144 (March/April 2009): 28