Lillian Delevoryas

Lillian Delevoryas
Photograph by Numael Pulido, 1986
Born	3 January 1932 Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, US
Occupation	Artist and designer
Nationality	American
Education	Pratt Institute, Cooper Union, New York, US
Years active	1956-present
Spouse	Robin Amis
Children	Nicholas
Website
lilliandelevoryas.com

Lillian Grace Delevoryas is an American artist whose career spans six decades. Trained in Fine Art, Calligraphy and Woodblock printing she initially achieved recognition during the 1970s for her pioneering work in appliqué and tapestry for the fashion and interior design industries. In the 1980s this recognition led to commissions for commercial applications over a range of consumer products, most notably pottery, textile and paper. Since the 1990s, Delevoryas has returned to painting and continued to exhibit and promote her work. She has lived in the UK since the early 1970s and was married to the writer and poet Robin Amis.

Delevoryas was born in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts to Greek immigrant parents. She studied at the Pratt Institute and the Cooper Union in New York, where she gained her B.A. (Hons) in Fine Art. After graduation she spent some time in Japan, where she studied calligraphy and wood block printing with Toshi Yoshida and Tomi Tokuriki (Tomikichirō Tokuriki). She also studied in France before settling in New York. Here, she created her earliest major works – the New York Studio Series – an exploration of structure and of light, both real and reflected. These early works explored naturistic and intimist art combining various influences including Matisse and Picasso, revealing a love of colour and the strong graphic sense which has informed her work ever since.

In the late 1960s, she turned from painting to textile art, and, at the suggestion of Kaffe Fassett and Judy Brittain of Vogue, she came to London, where she was commissioned to design tapestries for private homes and costumes for celebrities and pop stars. Her work in fabric appliqué was featured widely, including in Vogue.

In 1972, she married writer Robin Amis. The wedding dress she created was featured in Vogue magazine and latterly exhibited in the 2014 "Here Comes the Brides" Exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is now in the Museum's permanent collection as an example of the spirit of the times.