Katie Schwab’s practice is concerned with exploring the politics of domestic and educational space. She is interested in how the design, production, furnishing and usage of homes, workshops and classrooms can prompt questions around social ideals, economic values and issues of gender and labour. This is explored in her work by combining elements of her personal history with references to histories of domestic design, craft education and housing.

Katie’s works take the form of embroidered and woven textiles, ceramic tableware, functional furniture and videos, which are often grouped together in installations. Her works draw on the bright colours, bold shapes and abstract forms of twentieth-century design, and incorporate methods of making that embrace contemporary technology, traditional craft processes and small-batch production.

Drawing on her interest in forms of communal living and working, Katie has created a collection of plates for the breakfast room at Hotel Ufer, Düsseldorf.