Publications
Caren Garfen is known for tackling tough topics. She juxtaposes seemingly simple textiles with complex issues like eating disorders to create compelling and informative installation art. Caren’s art does not hang neatly on a wall. Instead, she creates provocative examinations of issues that especially affect women. Mary Carson, TextileArtist.org
2025
Textile Protests, Julia Triston, Batsford Books
2024
Cloth Stories, Ali Ferguson, Batsford Books (March, p.23 & p.102-103)
Memorials, Past and Present: Caren Garfen in conversation with Monica Bohm-Duchen (8 April) :LINK
Memorials, Past and Present (Part II): Caren Garfen, Mirka Knaster, Robin L Bernstein with Monica Bohm-Duchen (17 April) :LINK
Tolerance Limit, VIII International Triennial of Textile Art, Hungary, exhibition catalogue (August 2024, p.145) :LINK
Dignifying the Dead: Memorialization through Fiber Art, SDA, Textile Talks (25 September) :LINK
Narrative Textiles: Tell your story in mixed media & stitch, Ailish Henderson, Batsford Books (10 October, p.78-79)
2023
Art from Heart, ‘Artist of the Month’ (January) :LINK
The Power of Simple Hand Stitches, TextileArtist.org (13 March) :LINK
Inspiring Action Against Antisemitism Through Art, Combat Antisemitism Movement (21 March) :LINK
Quo Vadis?, 7th Riga International Textile and Fibre Art Triennial catalogue (June, p.52-53)
The Jewish Art Magazine, The Jewish Art House (pub. 19 July, Issue 2, Volume 2, p.134 -142) :LINK
Threaded Narratives: An Interview with Caren Garfen, Art & Politics, feature by Joana Alarcão (13 September) :LINK
Textile Portraits, People and Places in Textile Art, Anne Kelly, Batsford Books (September, p.32)
30 Years of Embroiderers Guild Graduate & Scholar Showcase, EG catalogue (October, p.46-47)
2022
View on Collage, e-book (6 January, p.12) :LINK
Sew What? Embroidery & The Body: An Interview with Rowen Riley by Isabella Rosner (20 Jan, S3, Episode 12, 44:20 - 46:30 mins)
Selection and Star Witness, Feature, Sean Worrall, organthing.com (27 January) :LINK
Time, Haus A Rest Zine, Issue 22 online (February)
The Broderers’ Exhibition Catalogue, online (15 February, p.1)
Studio Spaces, 049…Caren Garfen, online (14 March)
Collect Art, Women Art Special Edition Magazine (March, Issue 3, p.17-20)
Artists Responding To…Magazine (April, Spring Issue, p.49-52)
Five2Watch, Reflection, Harlan Whittingham, Axis (8 April)
All Things Tiny, Haus A Rest Zine, Issue 27 online (July)
The Jewish Art Magazine, The Jewish Art House (August, Issue 1, Volume 3, p.39-51)
Circle Quarterly Art Review Magazine, Circle Arts, (20 Aug, Issue 8, p.44) :LINK
Caren Garfen - Dolls Houses, Stitching Truths & Finding Your Path… The LoveCrafts Show podcast (live 12 Oct, S3 E3) :LINK
2021
Art Textile Biennale, Fibre Arts Australia catalogue (January, p.24-25)
Remembrance, The Jewish Chronicle (29 January, p.24)
Art Textile Biennale, Fibre Arts Australia, Fibre Arts Take Two video (6 March) :LINK
A Feeling of Sorrow, Second Session: Episode #14, Jo Andrews (20 May) :LINK
Making Meaning with Caren Garfen, Podcast #3, Ruth Singer (2 August) :LINK
Fragments, on Instagram @vamuseum videos :LINK
The House of Smalls, Exhibition Catalogue (p.21)
Caren Garfen - An artist examining the rise in global antisemitism, Jewish Small Communities Network UK, (pub. 30 Nov) :LINK
Five2Watch, Mental Health, Harlan Whittingham, Axis (21 December)
Boomer Magazine, Identity, Third Edition (27 December, p.92)
2020
Feature, San Francisco School of Needlework and Design, USA, Facebook & Instagram (December 9)
Art Textile/Fibre Arts e.Zine, Fibre Arts Australia (pub. 29 November, Vol 4, p.3-8) :LINK
The Limited Edition Festival of Quilts Magazine, The Vlieseline Fine Art Textiles Award (September, p.11)
The ties that bind us to a tragic past, The Jewish Chronicle (26 June, p.48)
Textile Artist Caren Garfen and the Star Witness project, Dr Jessica M Grimm (4 May) :LINK
Ctrl/Shift: 62 Group Exhibition At The 2021 Visual Arts Centre, Vimeo (7 February) :LINK
Nothing Less! 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage, Exhibition catalogue (January, p.10-13)
2019
Crafts, Preview, Ctrl/Shift (Issue 276, Jan/Feb, p.4-5)
Embroidery, Exhibitions, ‘Suffrage’, Ellen Bell (Vol.70, Jan/Feb, p.54)
14th International London Eating Disorder Conference, Handbook (20-22 March, p.90-91)
Surface Design Journal, ‘On Display’, Domestic Spaces, (Spring Issue)
www.envisionartshow.com, Threaded: a fiber & textiles collection (3 May)
Envision Art Show Magazine, ‘What’s Going On Upstairs’ (9 May)
Carillon Radio, Health and Wellbeing, ‘Wise Words’, Radio interview (12 May, 17:49-17:52)
X Stitch magazine, Artist Profile - Caren Garfen, ‘Thinking Small’ (July online issue, p.66-69)
Be Creative with Workbox, CBe meets Caren Garfen, ‘Create in Miniature’ (July issue, p.20-23)
School of Stitched Textiles, ‘Caren Garfen: Putting the Text into Textiles’ (17 July) :LINK
East Midlands Mental Health Service Innovators Conference 2019, First Steps booklet (September)
The Vlieseline Fine Art Textiles Award, Exhibition catalogue (October, p22)
Nothing Less! 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage, Exhibition brochure (October, p4)
Ctrl/Shift: 62 Group Exhibition At The 2021 Visual Arts Centre, mrsbertimus.blogspot.com (23 December)
Ctrl/Shift: New Directions in Textile Art, Exhibition catalogue (December, p.66-69)
2018
British Patchwork & Quilting, The Jane Austen Community Quilt - An Update, Lucy Bailey (January, Issue 288, p.40-43)
Axisweb, Category of the Week: Arts in Health, 'Room for Improvement' (5-12 March)
Stories in Stitches: Reimagining Jane Austen's Quilt, ed. L Bailey, E Betts & S Dell (March, p.39)
Text, The Textile Society Journal, Professional Development Award 2017, 'What's Going On Upstairs' (Vol.45, p.57-58)
Axisweb, Highlights of the Week, 'Heartfelt' (23-27 July)
Selvedge blog post, ‘What’s Going On Upstairs’, Jessica Edney (13 August) :LINK
62 Group Autumn Newsletter, Members News (1 September)
Suffrage, A Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre Exhibition catalogue, issuu.com (1 October, p.48-53)
Craft Business, Editorial blog, ‘Tackling difficult subjects with needle and thread’ (3 October)
Caren Garfen - UDHR Article 11, #UDHR Quilt Project, quilts.moadoph.gov.au (October 28) :LINK
Embroidery, Profile, ‘A touch on the small side’, Ellen Bell (Vol.69, Nov/Dec, p.24-29)
What’s Going On Upstairs Exhibition, Arnold’s Attic, interview, YouTube (13 December) :LINK
Caren Garfen: From Conception to Creation, Mary Carson, textileartist.org (24 December) :LINK
2017
One Year On Alumni Interviews, newdesigners.com, blogspot (24 January)
13th International London Eating Disorder Conference, Handbook (22-24 March, p.64)
Popular Patchwork, Feature: 'One of a Kind', (August issue, p.60-63)
2016
Selvedge magazine, View, The Wit of the Stitch (Nov, Issue 73, p.86)
Embroidery magazine, Review, The Wit of the Stitch (Sep/Oct, p.57)
Textile Nature, Anne Kelly, Batsford Books (Aug, p.104-105)
Embroidery magazine, News (May/June, p.13)
Contemporary Stitch Volume 2, e-book, textileartist.org Resources (Apr)
New Directions, Exhibooks Art Book Publisher (Apr, p.66-69)
Workbox magazine, 'Writing Textile Nature', Anne Kelly, image (Apr, p.31)
Art That Inspires Caren Garfen, textileartist.org (5 Feb)
2015
The State of Art: Installation & Site Specific No.2, Bare Hill Publishing, book (Oct, p.98-101)
Feast Artist Feature: Caren Garfen, lexingtonartleague.org/art-stories (Jul) :LINK
Embroidery magazine, 'What a waste' (Jul/Aug, p.14-15)
Reel Lives of Saltaire Women, Colin Coates, saltairevillage.info/reel-lives (Jun)
She Was Cooking Something Up, Interview and film, Jared Peysner (13 Apr) :LINK House of Coco, 'Creative Spotlight: Caren Garfen' houseofcoco.net (23 Feb)
Embroidery magazine, 'The Accidental Curator' (images), (Jan/Feb, p.48 & 49)
2014
Research Showcase: Tennyson Transformed, University of Lincoln, Youtube (8 Jan, 2:24) :LINK
Embroidery magazine, Exhibition Review, Cloth and Memory 2 (Jan/Feb, p.56)
Embroidery magazine, Exhibition Review, On My Mother's Knee (Mar/Apr, p.54)
Construct, Ruthin Publication, catalogue (April, p.10-15 & 21)
Stroud News & Journal, 'Artist stitches a story of heiress's suffering' (23 April, p.46)
Embroidery magazine, Preview, Selected (May/Jun, p.15)
Wales Arts Review, 'Construct' by Adam Somerset (Jun, Vol.3, Issue 11)
The Cutting (& Stitching) Edge - Caren Garfen, Jamie Chalmers, mr x stitch, on-line (21 Aug) The Knitting & Stitching Show Guide (Oct-Nov, p.12)
Textileart Around the World, Ellen Bakker, Textile-link, book (Oct)
Exhibitions, K&S, Alexandra Palace, Workshop on the Web, Newsletter (Dec, p.8)
2013
Crafts magazine, Crafts Guide, image (May/Jun, p.85)
Embroidery magazine, Preview, Cloth and Memory 2 (Jul/Aug, p.8)
Cloth & Memory 2, clothandmemory.com (2013)
An exhibition at Salts Mill, Cloth and Memory 2, saltairevillage.info (Aug)
New exhibition on fabric at Salts Mill, the teleegraphandargus.co.uk (12 Aug)
Arts Council & UCA Explores Cloth & Memory, yorkshiretimes.co.uk image (12 Aug)
Cloth & Memory 2, edited by Prof Lesley Millar, Salts Estates Ltd, book (Aug, p.50-53)
A gripping yarn of Salts mill's girls, Emma Clayton, Telegraph & Argus (15 Aug, p.22-23)
Cloth & Memory 2, BBC TV Look North, Cathy Killick (15 Aug)
Text in Textile Art, Sara Impey, Anova Batford, book (Aug, p.42,50,56,94,102)
Unsung heroes of textile mills, Emma Clayton, Telegraph & Argus (27 Aug, p.33)
Textile Forum, 'Cloth & Memory 2' (Sep-Nov, p.20)
Handcraft of the World, Quilts Japan (Oct/Nov, Issue 155, p.60-61)
Stitch magazine, From Sketch to Stitch (Oct/Nov, Issue 85, p.30-33)
On My Mother's Knee, online exhibition catalogue, issuu.com (Nov, p.33-36) :LINK
2012
Interview with Caren Garfen: The Need to Spread my Wings, Joe Pitcher, textileartist.org (Dec) :LINK
Inspired London: A Guide to Handmade, Mary McDermott, We Make London (Nov, p.40)
Textiles, The Art of Mankind, Mary Schoeser, Thames & Hudson, image (Nov, p.345)
Hand Stitch Perspectives, Alice Kettle & Jane McKeating, Bloomsbury (Oct, p.126-128)
Royal Academy of Arts, 'Caren Garfen: Work of the Week', video royalacademy.org.uk (19-26 Aug)
Embroidery magazine, 'Learning Curve' (Jul/Aug, p.42-45)
Radical Thread, Professor Lesley Millar MBE (ed.), Direct Design Books (Jan, p.48-49)
Embroidery Magazine, 'Radical Threads' by Jae Maries, image (Vol.63, Jan/Feb, p.36)
2011
Celebrity Paws - The Exhibition, Cats Protection catalogue (Dec, p.5)
Handmade in Britain,'Caren Garfen - Self-proclaimed perfectionist', Vivays Pub, (Oct, p.124-5)
Diana Springall, A Brave Eye, by June Hill, A&C Black, book (Oct, p.135)
Women, wit and daily life: Caren Garfen, by Kitty Kilian kittykilian.nl/caren-garfen (Aug)
International Exhibition of Mini Textile Art 2011, exhibition cd (Jun, p.25)
Designer Crafts at The Mall, Society of Designer Craftsmen exhibition catalogue (Jan, p.58)
2010
Indoor magazine, 'Caren Garfen - Peace is the Greatest Happiness', Jian Xiao (Nov, p.56-59)
Embroidery magazine, 'The Hand Stitcher's Tale' by Susie Johns (Vol.61, Sep/Oct, p.38-43)
Made not Manufactured, Origin exhibition catalogue (Sep, p.21)
A Dartboard for Witches, exhibition catalogue (Jul, p.1 & p.6)
Time and Space, AA2A Digital Publication, aa2a.org (May, p.38-39)
Crafts magazine, 'Avoiding the pitfalls of patchwork' by Mary Schoeser (No.224, May/Jun, p.58)
Quilts 1700-2010 exhibition at the V&A, realhomesmagazine.co.uk (31 Mar)
YouTube-vamuseum's Channel: Caren Garfen: How many times do I have to repeat myself (Mar) :LINK
Financial Times, House & Home, 'The riches of stitches' by Nicole Swengley (13 Mar, p.6)
Quilts 1700-2010 - Hidden Histories, Untold Stories, ed. Sue Prichard, V&A book (Mar, p.196)
Crafts magazine, 'Rags and Riches' by Sue Prichard (No.223, Mar/Apr, p.50)
Telegraph magazine, 'Cover Stories' by Naomi West (27 Feb p.47)
Sewing - Inspiring People: Caren Garfen by Ali Binns, coatscrafts.co.uk (Feb)
Quilts 1700-2010, V&A Blog, 'A Room of One's Own' by Sue Prichard, vam.ac.uk (Feb)
Contact, Embroiderers' Guild magazine, 'Quilts Show at V&A' (Issue 24, Spring, p.3)
62 Group Newsletter, 'How many times do I have to repeat myself' (Jan, Issue No.21, p.16-17
2009
Embroidery magazine, 'Bending the Line', Exhibition Review (Vol.60, Nov/Dec, p.57)
Crafts magazine, 'Breaking not bending - the limits of art' (No.220, Sept-Oct, p.58)
Bending the Line, 62 Group exhibition catalogue (p.18)
Sewing World magazine, 'Boxing Clever and The Art of the Domestic' (May issue, p.16-19)
An Embroiderer's Eye, Diana Springall & Dr Jessica Hemmings, Silk Heritage Trust (cover & p.32) :LINK
Contact, Embroiderers' Guild magazine (Issue 21, p.3)
Designer Crafts at The Mall 2009, Society of Designer Craftsmen exhibition catalogue (Jan, p.52)
2008
Signs and Symbols, M Hampshire & K Stephenson, Rotovision, book (p.115)
Surface Design Journal, 'Stitching Statements' by Dr J Hemmings (Vol.33, No.1, Fall, p.20-25)
Embroidery magazine, 'Embroiderers' Guild Scholars 2008' (Vol.59, Sep/Oct, p.28-29)
The Knitting and Stitching Show Souvenir Guide, 'E G Scholar: Caren Garfen' (Sep - Nov, p.22)
Design Week, Cover Story 'Needle point - Caren Garfen on gender roles' (Vol.23, 17 Jul, p.13) :LINK
Art of the Stitch, catalogue (p.18)
Stitch magazine, 'Its Show Time!' (No.51, Feb/Mar, p.16)
British Satellite News, bsn.org.uk, interview,' British Design Crafts live in London Gallery' (24 Jan)
Wallpaper magazine, Graduate Directory (No.106, Jan, p.97)
2007
Financial Times, House & Home - Design (Dec 8/9, p.11)
2006
Embroidery magazine, 'Placement Sampling' (Vol.57, Sep/Oct, p.30-32)