Courtney Cox

American

Biography

Courtney Cox is a fiber artist living in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her work includes hand embroidery, knitted garments, and pattern writing. Cox's work has received awards, been exhibited, published, and purchased on four continents. Primarily self-taught, Cox has been interested in fiber art since early childhood. Her earliest experiments involved weaving hundreds of pot holders and hand-stitching them into blankets. In her early twenties, after relocating from a warm climate to a colder one, she taught herself to crochet. A few years later, a friend introduced her to hand embroidery. A desire to learn garment design while avoiding a sewing machine led her to master knitting. From there, she began knitting professionally for luxury and couture fashion brands before branching out to create her own designs. She now writes and sells her own knitting patterns.

Artist Statement

"Working as a fiber artist specializing in hand embroidery, my art addresses modern observations through an ancient lens. Using the everyday tools of a needle and thread, I explore my subjects and tell their stories one thread at a time. My process of creating images through thousands of stitches begins with photographic references. The photograph is transformed into an original design, transferred onto fabric, and then hand-embroidered over days or weeks. My portrait work ranges from a romantic exploration of human existence to commentary on politics or global crises. My non-portrait work is equally diverse. These hand embroideries may be embellished with watercolor, partially or entirely cut away, or mounted in unique ways, such as onto a backward canvas or a fly swatter. Being self-taught in the art of hand embroidery, my work does not consciously adhere to any rules or traditions evident in the legacy of hand stitching. In every piece, my careful use of needle and thread invokes a sense of discovery."
― Courtney Cox