The Studio

Where the work begins: drawing, printing, making, and occasionally collaborating.

Image: Hong Kong, 1978

Ali Davies

I'm a New Zealand textile artist, and after thirty years in, I’m still drawing, still curious. I have my work in over 100 retailers across Aotearoa, and it begins the same way every time: with a pencil and a piece of paper.

Each piece begins with a drawing and then develops through print and cloth, guided by the idea that textiles shape how we gather, remember, and belong.

My connection to cloth began early. As a child, I spent several years living in Hong Kong and England, where department stores and local shops offered a vivid world of printed silks, patterned garments, stationery, and theatrical fabric displays that caught my attention. These early encounters with colour, illustration, and pattern left a lasting impression and quietly shaped a lifelong fascination with textiles and design.

Image: A gathering of drawings, colour swatches and working pattern ideas for my latest iteration of Pohutukawa.

Years of working with different fabrics and processes brought me to a clear position: custom-woven organic cotton and linen. Natural fibres are chosen for their strength, beauty, and ability to last and live well in a home. 

Textiles carry a long history — mostly made by women, mostly unrecognised. Industrial production moved much of that knowledge out of homes and communities and into systems defined by underpaid labour. That history sits with me. It's part of why I choose natural fibres, work with local makers where I can, and treat the making of cloth as something worth doing carefully.

Practise & Values

The following principles lay the foundation for the work.

Certified organic cotton and sustainable fabrics. No shortcuts on materials.

Pattern as storytelling. Motifs that connect memory, place, and everyday life.

Made for use first, gathering at the table, comfort on the body, living in the home.

Currently available

Limited editions, ongoing collections, and one-of-a-kind pieces — released directly from the studio.

View all collections

Pattern library

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A hand printed curtain on european linen in a mid grey colour with a black art deco style flora and fauna print.
A NZ native pigeon print on natural coloured fabric

Colour & Song

A gathering of music, painting, and quiet attention.

Colour & Song is a 75-minute creative salon bringing together music, spoken word, and live painting in an intimate, softly held environment.

Designed for small groups, it offers a space to relax and contemplate together — something increasingly rare. There is nothing demanded of the audience; instead, the experience unfolds quietly as music fills the room and paintings emerge, one by one, in response.

People listen, observe, and reflect in their own way. At the end of the evening, each guest selects a small original artwork to take with them — a physical moment of the experience, and something to live with afterwards.

Colour & Song can be hosted in private homes, workplaces, retreats, and cultural venues, adapting to each setting while holding a consistent atmosphere of calm, presence, and connection.

For hosting enquiries, you’re welcome to get in touch.

Get in touch

Some audience comments

“It felt special to take home one of the artworks.”

“A mindful experience.”

“It was calming, I came home relaxed.”

“So intimate — I felt like I was in your home just watching.”
Three actors standing side by side dressed in brightly coloured printed kimono.

Working with others

Artspeak

Alongside the textile work, I collaborate with artists, cultural organisations, and purpose-led projects — helping them find their voice online and in print. The same instinct runs through both: how ideas travel into the world, whether through cloth, story, or a well-made website.

If you are exploring a project of this nature, you are welcome to get in touch.

Contact