Leila Walter
Weaver
Cape Town, South Africa
Weaving as a way of life
- Leila's works explore the relationship between fibre, place and the human hand
- In 2020, she taught herself to weave on a salvaged Swedish loom from the 1950s
- Alongside weaving, she creates patchwork pieces from textile waste
Born into a creative family of carpenters and artists, Leila Walter approaches making as an embodied practice. She graduated in 2014 from the Michaelis School of Fine Art, with a portfolio spanning photography, bronze casting and paper sculpture. After eight years working in the film industry and a year exploring India’s textile cities, Leila found her wellspring in weaving. Her experience revealed how textiles are shaped by place, local fibres, climate and cultural memory. Beyond traditional handwoven textiles, she weaves strips of offcuts from local fashion labels into tapestries and artworks, transforming waste into new material. Her cotton blankets, cushions and table runners are made from locally milled cotton, sourced from one of only two cotton mills still operating in South Africa. “There may only be two left, but at least they are still spinning," Leila says.
INTERVIEW
I grew up in a family of makers, so working with my hands has always felt natural. Studying fine art deepened that instinct, and weaving later became the practice where everything I had explored started to come together.
My work explores the quiet relationship between fibre, place and the human hand. Through weaving and patchwork, I create textiles that hold the memory of materials, process and labour.
Making has taught me patience and trust in slow processes. It is a quiet practice in which each thread builds meaning over time, reminding me that my work and attention are a celebration of my final offering.
Shared humanity is very important. Textiles carry the memory of land, culture and the body. Working with fibre connects me to long generational lineages of makers, and every work I make is an acknowledgement of that reality.
Leila Walter
Weaver
Cape Town, South Africa
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Cape Town, South Africa
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
English
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