Based in Aotearoa New Zealand, Isla Frater Keast is a weaver and visual artist whose practice centers on presence, connection, and the natural world. Beginning her day with the ritual of morning green tea, she brings intentionality into the studio before stepping up to the loom. Her visual language draws from the alpine landscape of Mt Ruapehu, with its rusty hues and crisp air, as well as oceanic motifs from her roots in Beachlands. Keast translates these surroundings into textured, woven narratives through a repetitive, meditative process.  

Keast approaches native fibers like harakeke and muka with deep respect, a perspective shaped by traditional raranga techniques taught by her Aunty Andrea and inspired by artist Camille Laddawan. Her earth-toned palette reflects a close bond with Aotearoa’s landscape. Through woven forms and spatial installations, she explores womanhood, togetherness, and warmth, a quality she grounds in the element of fire. Her work honors the power of slow making to bridge personal memory and shared human experience.

"Weaving allows me to translate the way I see the world into a woven story, revealing that the value of the creative process lies not in the end result, but in the ongoing relationship between the artist and the world." 

– Isla Frater Keast