Artists

The Stephens Tapestry Studio has its roots in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), where Coral Stephens established a successful weaving business in the mid-20^th century. Her daughter, Marguerite, was introduced to the craft at an early age and went on to carve out her own path in the tapestry industry, working with renowned artists to reproduce their artworks as tapestries.

The pivotal moment for this came in 1963 when Coral and Marguerite attended an exhibition by Cecil Skotnes at the Egon Guenther Gallery in Johannesburg. Carol remarked to Skotnes that one of his woodblocks would be perfect as a tapestry. Skotnes agreed, and the task of weaving the design was entrusted to her daughter. When the finished tapestry sold for R100, he split the proceeds with Marguerite and gifted her the original woodblock, marking the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration between them.

Through her partnership with Skotnes, she was introduced to and began working with other notable artists such as Eduardo Villa, Sydney Khumalo, and Cecily Sash (the Amadlozi Group minus Guiseppe Cattaneo). She also produced works with Walter Battiss, Robert Hodgins, Norman Catherine, Sam Nhlengethwa, and Diane Victor, to name a few.

In the 1980s, the studio received an important commission from the Royal Durban Hotel to create a monumental 23-meter tapestry by Judith Mason. This large-scale project was a significant demonstration of the studio's capabilities. In the 1990s, Marguerite began collaborating with William Kentridge, an association that would further elevate the studio's profile within the international art community and introduce its work to a global audience.

Since 2016, the studio has been led by Marguerite's great-granddaughter, Christine Weavind, and continues to collaborate with important South African artists-as evidenced by the list below. It is an all-women operation that even employs some of the descendants from Marguerite's original team. Over the years, the Stephens Tapestry Studio has helped to push the boundaries of tapestry as an art form, transforming it from decorative craft to fine art.