Emily Anne Schwab is an emerging contemporary textile artist whose work reinterprets the tradition of quilt making through a modern, fine-art lens. Using an ever-growing collection of vintage and reclaimed fabrics, Emily Anne constructs one of a kind textile compositions that explore pattern, texture, and the history embedded within cloth. Her pieces blend the heritage of American quilting with a contemporary sensibility, transforming familiar materials into bold, graphic works that sit at the intersection of craft and contemporary art.
Emily Anne’s creative practice is rooted in a lifelong relationship with textiles. She began sewing as a child and later studied fashion design at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro before pursuing entrepreneurship and founding a successful hair salon and bridal styling business. After years of working in design-focused environments and managing a team of creative professionals, she returned to her first love, textiles, channeling her technical skill and design sensibility into a distinctive artistic practice. Emily’s work is defined by thoughtful composition and tactile richness, often combining vintage fabrics in layered, painterly arrangements that reference both traditional quilts and contemporary abstract art. Each piece is entirely handmade, emphasizing the individuality of the materials and the artist’s intuitive process.
Her work is currently exhibited at Art Highlands Art Gallery, CMC Gallery, Wild Hare Gallery, and Pieces Home Store, and she regularly collaborates with interior designers to create custom textile artworks for residential and commercial spaces. Through these partnerships, her pieces have become sought-after additions to curated interiors that value craftsmanship, warmth, and unique material narratives.
Emily Anne continues to expand her practice through gallery exhibitions, designer collaborations, and new collections that push the boundaries of contemporary textile art while honoring the enduring legacy of quilt making.
Incredible quilted mixed fabric collage. 24×36” and stretched on wooden frame.