Historical information

Dr. Frances Mary Burke (1907 - 1994) was a textile designer and printer, businesswoman, artist and Australian design advocate and retailer. Burke’s modern abstract textile designs incorporated motifs and colours inspired by Australian Indigenous art, Pacific Island cultures, Australian flora and fauna, English gardens, and the sea and its wildlife.

Following Burke’s death in 1994, her life-long companion Miss Fabie Chamberlain donated the contents of Burke’s studio to RMIT University.

Physical description

Single colour screenprint, white fabric with chartreuse coloured print of positive large format design featuring large stylised canna leaf motif.

Inscriptions & markings

Printed on selvedge 'CANNA LEAF' a "Frances Burke" UNIT COLOUR DESIGN'