Carole Smollan

Born in South Africa, Carole Smollan is an artist, teacher, and textile designer who has always had a strong connection to the creative process. Smollan, who immigrated to England twenty years ago in 1996, has been exhibiting her artwork since that year.

Smollan’s artistic journey began in the tailoring room of her grandfather, where she was surrounded by fabrics and textiles. Growing up with old Lithuanian sewing machines in her bedroom, she taught herself to use them at a young age, sparking her lifelong love of textiles. Her creative attitude is firmly based on the idea that creativity is a learnt process rather than merely a talent. Her writing of instructional publications like Colour Theory for Kids and Art Lessons for Art Teachers, which help teachers and young students develop their creative processes, is a result of this belief.

At the age of seventeen, she began exhibiting her artwork and soon became a recognised designer of lace and undergarments. She was awarded a medal at the prestigious Cologne Fair, appointed president of a public company, and named 'Young Business Woman of the Year' in June 1969, an honour tied to her contributions to the Jewish art world for her innovative designs. She later switched to pottery and spent 20 years operating her own studio. During this time, she created large-scale murals for public buildings. She also designed sculpture/object artwork, which the artist donated to the Constitutional Court Art Collection (CCAC). The artwork is titled Constitutional Court 1 and is on the 2024 CCAC travelling exhibition. She also had the unique experience of creating ceramics for the blind in Gardens, Cape Town, an endeavour she found deeply inspiring. Furthermore, Smollan spent many years lending her criticism skills to an online art course.

After moving to England in 1996, Smollan returned to her passion for textiles. With a focus on synagogue art, she has created pieces for synagogues all around the world on commission and has participated in multiple solo exhibits. Her art has been shown in prominent galleries and museums around the world, including the Yeshiva University Museum in New York, which hosted a noteworthy exhibition of 150 works.