Angela Winter Means is a textile creative whose practice navigates memory, recovery, and human connection. Her studio methodology is grounded in quiet awareness, anchored by daily moments like holding her daughter’s hand. The Waitaki River, with its river stones, shifting sunlight, and rushing sounds, acts as her enduring creative reservoir, carrying memories of childhood camping and sun-soaked days that inspire her tactile work. Her creative journey follows a non-linear path from early fashion dreams to years spent rebuilding her identity in San Francisco, shaping an intuitive process guided by ancient traditions rather than systematic rules.

Positioning herself as a steward of historical textiles, Means works with natural fibers and antique garments to craft cohesive collections. Her visual palette is deeply inspired by nature’s raw forms and matā tūhua (obsidian), an elemental stone that reflects both sharp resilience and grounding protection. Drawing inspiration from the natural world and the underground creative networks that once gave her shelter, Means uses textiles to express healing, biological wonder, and the enduring strength of the human spirit. 

"I am drawn to natural fibers and inspiration from the ancients, completely aware that I am a symbolic circle rather than a systematic square." 

– Angela Winter Means