Portrait of Liz Williamson

Portrait of Liz Williamson


Liz Williamson is a weaver and academic who has been creating since the late 1970’s and is still fascinated with the process and potential of interlacing two sets of threads on her loom. At the heart of her weaving is an interest in innovative, experimental, and unusual designs created by interlacing warp and weft.

Her national and international profile includes her practise, teaching, curating, mentoring and since 2001, engaging with artisan’s groups in Asian and from 2012 organizing Cultural Textiles courses (to 2020) and tours in India. She is the recipient of numerous grants and awards and has undertaken several research residencies.

Liz has 38 years exhibiting nationally and internationally, and her work is held in major public collections in Australia including the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of South Australia and the Museum of Applied Arts & Science in Sydney with several international museum acquisitions. 

Her wearable pieces are treasured, loved and worn by thousands.

Williamson has been involved in tertiary education for over 35 years combining her teaching with research and art practice. In 1997 she established textiles at the College of Fine Arts on the UNSW Paddington campus and was Head of the Design School from 2008 to 2013. She taught until 2020 and from 2021 continues with postgraduate research candidates as Honorary Associate Professor at the School of Art & Design, UNSW.

Liz acknowledges the Gadigal and Wangal peoples of the Eora nation as the original owners of the land where she lives and works in the Inner West of Sydney and pays her respects to their Elders past, present and emerging and feels very privileged to live in a country with a strong Indigenous fibre art tradition.