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Textile artists Anne von Freyburg, based in London, England, and Maria Guzmán Capron, based in California, had the opportunity to present their work in solo exhibitions in the U.S.
‘Penumbra’
Capron presented the solo exhibition, “Maria A. Guzmán Capron: Penumbra,” April 10–Sept. 27 at Sarasota Art Museum at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida.
The exhibition featured 10 hand-dyed, plush figurative portraits, many of which were new pieces, including El Palpitar de Nuestra Canción and Sola ni de Noche ni de Dia. They emphasize the power of touch and explore the value of family and friendship.
“I used to simply create from material that was available, but I now feel the power to envision my work from the start by creating my own fabrics,” says Capron. “Dyeing and screen-printing have introduced a new intensity of color and a slower, more intentional pace to my practice that I hope resonates with viewers.”
She uses ordinary materials such as cotton and luxurious fabrics like silk to represent power dynamics and social hierarchies. Born in Milan to Peruvian and Colombian parents and raised in Texas, the California-based artist draws from her experience navigating multiple cultures and geographies.
‘Amour Toujours’
Von Freyburg is a Dutch artist who creates large-scale textile “paintings” that are inspired by 18th-century French and Dutch artists, including François Boucher and Jean-Honoré Fragonard. Using acrylic ink, tapestries and contemporary fashion fabrics on canvas, von Freyburg’s artworks explore power, beauty and excess.
“Anne’s tapestries transcend limiting beliefs about women. … With confidence, her outsized work occupies space and exudes power,” says Jennifer Berry, executive director of K Contemporary, an art gallery with locations in Denver, Colo., and Santa Fe, N.M.
Von Freyburg presented her first solo exhibition in the U.S., “Amour Toujours,” at K Contemporary in Denver, Colo., Nov. 8–Dec. 27, 2025. The exhibition was a continuation of her previous solo exhibition, “Filthy Cute,” which reinterprets works from The Progress of Love, a series of paintings by Fragonard.
“Amour Toujours” featured five new reinterpretations from the painting series. Von Freyburg’s pieces included Electric Feel, Sunny Side Up, Soft Blush, Spellbound and Something in the Air Has Changed. They were all made from synthetic and PVC fabrics, tapestry fabrics, sequin fabrics, embroidery, polyester wadding and hand-dyed tassel fringes.
“I approached the body of work as a declaration of the love and care necessary for all of us to thrive. … It’s about being free and choosing your own path to happiness in relationships,” says von Freyburg.