Profile

Sabine Kaner’s father was on the first boat from Jamaica in the 1940s and what he experienced in Britain on arrival is still uppermost in the artist’s mind

Opposite page: Memories (2022), 120cm x 90cm, embroidery thread, wool, glass, canvas, calico, paint, felt, beads, repurposed clothing

■ Mixed-media artist Sabine Kaner grew up in London in the 1960s, born to a father from Jamaica and a mother from Germany, at a time when mixed marriages were not commonplace and racism was rife. The textile practice Kaner has developed since she was just five years old is one very much rooted in these autobiographical experiences. Storytelling is a key component of her overall practice; she is adept at creating narratives that are both relatable and emotionally impactful in part because of the clear, graphic motifs she favours and the use of repurposed, previously worn textiles. Kaner’s pieces typically begin with drawings which are collaged and transferred to calico surfaces before being painted with watercolours and thinned acrylic paint. Her process sometimes utilises printmaking techniques, next incorporating layers of recycled fabrics and adding a final layer of stitching on top.