My work is driven by the desire to create emotive, dynamic textiles. Fiber speaks to me on a visceral level. I want each of my works to be visually seductive but also to offer an invitation to look beyond functionality and knitting, transcending the traditional expectations of what knitting is and what a blanket or throw should be, dissolving barriers that separate craft from art.
Communicating the essence and characteristics of the yarn is one of the foundations of the work. I source luxurious materials primarily from Italy and Japan where fiber has been an intrinsic part of their cultures for centuries. Italian yarns and their structures are elegant and sumptuous allowing for timeless, heirloom quality pieces. The inventive, innovative Japanese textures and colors are subtle, surprising and unexpected.
Inspiration is also drawn from my surroundings. The structural ribs and architecture of New York, the pulse and spontaneity of the ocean, or the simple decorative beauty and unique proportions created by Charles Rennie MacIntosh all trigger my interest.
I hand knit and hand finish each piece. Yarn texture and weight, needle size, rhythmic designs and a natural palette are carefully considered to reflect light and create shadows. Drawing from traditional stitches or creating my own result in a range of textures from undulating and sculptural to delicate and ethereal.
With my work I hope to encourage others to delve into the world of fiber and knitting and to return with a sense of possibility, discovering not only how it feels in the hand but also how it can affect the heart.
— Adrienne Rogers, New York
Adrienne Rogers’ blankets and throws are beautiful decorative textiles that are physically irresistible — when you see them you need to touch them. Or, perhaps more accurately, you want to wander over their surfaces and wrap yourself in their delicate fibers. To simply call Rogers’ creations textiles doesn’t begin to describe their presence or allure. They are knotted sculptures that expand into living, breathing forms.
Rogers’ approach to knitting is at once avant-garde and primal. Her forms are intriguingly original, yet they stem from the timeless human urge to surround oneself with warmth, softness and comfort. Their muted palette and rich textures seem drawn from nature: pine bark, driftwood, river rocks, and cloudscapes. At times her design emphasizes the spare beauty of repeating geometric shapes, other times the stitches form downy surfaces that invoke a handcrafted luxury.
“As with traditional Japanese architecture,” explains Rogers, “I strive to create work that is functional yet also stands alone as a thing of beauty.”
Taking her inspiration from architecture and fashion as well as the outdoors, she conceives of patterns that are then translated into novel stitches, producing elegant designs that are both delicate and bold. As the process evolves, a dialogue emerges between the yarn and the design, which extends to the surrounding materials, furnishings and interiors in which the finished piece is ultimately set. For this reason, interior designers and modern craft collectors who seek a clean-lined, contemporary aesthetic covet her custom-made, hand-knit textiles, reveling in how much can be achieved with so little.
“What drives my designs and choice of materials is the ultimate texture that can be created using such basic tools as needles and a single, continuous thread.”
— Leslie Sherr, Critic/Writer, New York
As Adrienne Rogers tells it, a lot of what knitting is about is numbers — the size of the needles, the weight of the yarn, the quantity of stitches. And what does all this complex cerebration yield? The most voluptuous, startingly original textiles you will ever see or caress.
— Marisa Bartolucci, Design Writer, New York
Adrienne Rogers combines classic knitting techniques with exquisite yarns. The end result is distinctly modern, elegant and very luxurious.
— Bibi Monnahan, Designer/Curator, New York
Knitting as art.
—Theodore P. Shen and Mary Jo Shen, Collectors, New York