First Australian artist to make certified organic textile art

Turkish born artist Zuhal Kuvan-Mills is the first Australian artist to be making certified organic textile art and is certified by NASAA (National Association Sustainable Agriculture, Australia) and GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard). Ms Kuvan-Mills is inspired by Australian sustainable, organic agriculture and has dedicated her artistic practice to reflecting her thoughts about the environment and conservation. Her work is about human rights of women as well as social justice and social rights, which are also integral part of organic agriculture and processing.

These certified organic textile artworks powerfully invite discussions around human rights issues and in particular violence against women. Her rugs and quilts evoke domestic spaces and act as a canvas to womens' everyday lives under violence. They give a visual interpretation of the principles of ecology and social responsibility through independent certification of the completed work by Global Organic Textile Standard. Ms. Kuvan-Mills is selected artist to represent Australia at the 2nd Izmir Bienale in Turkey, an international art exhibition. (Pictures by Zuhal Kuvan-Mills: Installation "Echoes from Yurt", made of certified Western Australian Merino fibre to the left, and the picture to the right shows "It was only a woman" made of organic alpaca fibre.)