Yvonne Porcella

Yvonne Porcella earned a B.S. degree in nursing from the University of San Francisco in 1958 and subsequently became a self-taught fiber artist, author, and teacher. Porcella developed an interest in textiles in 1962 when she wanted to know how to make fabric for her own clothing. In studying the process of weaving and fabric production, she examined handwoven material to learn about color, construction, and pattern. Porcella began collecting ethnic textiles from many different parts of the world, particularly Japan, Afghanistan, and Russia, which have provided the inspiration for her wearable art, quilts, and other fiber works.

Kenneth R. Trapp and Howard Risatti Skilled Work: American Craft in the Renwick Gallery (Washington, D.C.: National Museum of American Art with the Smithsonian Institution Press, 1998)