Anne von Freyburg: Sewing rebellion into softness

Dutch, London-based artist Anne von Freyburg creates large-scale textile paintings that reimagine Rococo portraiture in hand-sewn tapestry, sequins and PVC fabric. In this conversation, she unpacks the hierarchy between painting and textile, why pleasure and excess are acts of resistance, and the six-month process behind her recent Saatchi Gallery installation. Anne also previews Pleasure Garden, her upcoming solo show with HOFA Gallery.

Show Notes

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Excess can be resistance. Anne treats joy, colour and “too-muchness” as deliberate defiance, since female pleasure is often what the art world struggles to accept.

• Hierarchies are historical, not inherent. Textile's status beneath painting comes from a specific art-history moment, not the medium itself, so it's worth questioning inherited rankings in your own field.

• Every layer is intentional. A single large piece can take six months, moving from digital collage to hand-cutting, sewing, quilting and painted fringe. Slowing down can deepen meaning.

• Permission comes before boldness. Anne consciously chooses mischief over being “the good girl,” and that permission is what lets her boldest ideas surface.

• Materials speak before you do. Anne treats every fabric, whether tapestry, PVC or sequins, as carrying its own history and meaning, worth listening to before you use it.

During the live interview, we shared some images of Anne’s artwork. Since you’re listening to the podcast version, we’ve made these images available for you below.

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