Music Series
The Red Violin
The Story Behind The Red Violin
Artwork Details
Technique: Constructed Textile Sculpture
Dimensions: 24" wide x 20" high
Collection: Music Series
Availability: Private Collection
At first glance, The Red Violin looks like a violin sculpture.
It isn't.
It is a real, playable violin, just one made almost entirely from fabric and thread.
Creating it meant learning far more about violin construction than I ever expected. Since I grew up playing the violin, I already understood the instrument from a musician's perspective. Building one from scratch required understanding it from a maker's perspective instead.
I spent countless hours researching how violins are constructed, studying their proportions, curves, and the relationship between every component. Although my goal was to create a work of art rather than a concert instrument, I wanted it to be authentic enough that every major part was present and correctly positioned.
Unlike a traditional violin, this one isn't built around a hollow wooden body. The solid textile construction means it doesn't produce the rich sound of a handcrafted instrument—which is perfectly fine. Beautiful music was never its purpose.
Its purpose was to explore whether thread and fabric could convincingly become something completely unexpected.
The title was inspired by the film The Red Violin. While my piece doesn't tell the same story, the movie's celebration of the violin's beauty, craftsmanship, and history made the title feel like a natural fit.
Today, it's one of my favorite examples of pushing fiber art beyond the flat surface and asking a simple question:
"Can I really make that out of fabric?"
A violin is far more complex than it appears. It is made up of many individual parts, including the scroll, neck, fingerboard, body, tailpiece, and end pin.
Here, the major components have been completed and are ready for assembly.
Research
Adding the Details
To make the violin truly playable, I used real violin hardware for the bridge, strings, tuning pegs, and end pin. Every other part, from the body to the decorative details, was created from fabric, thread, and foam core.
The completed violin was tested before being permanently mounted in a shadow box frame. While it was created as a work of art rather than a concert instrument, every major component is present, and it can actually be played.
My own violin became the model. I studied every curve, proportion, and detail to understand how a real violin is constructed before attempting to recreate it in fabric and thread.
