The SilkArt Studio

Dye-Painting on Silk
Originals • Reproductions • Commissions • Workshops

Deborah Younglao
104 Canterstone Ct., Cary, NC 27518 • 919-363-9413
dyounglao@ureach.com • www. thesilkartstudio.com

BACKGROUND
Owner of The SilkArt Studio in Cary, NC since 1997, I create and market my original paintings and
reproductions, and manage all other aspects of running the business. As an artist I am primarily self-taught,
and continue to improve my skills through workshops with renowned silk painters.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2006: Shades of Nature: Gallery of Caribbean Art, Barbados

2004: Colours of the Caribbean: Gallery of Caribbean Art, Barbados

2002: Kaleidoscope: Queens Park Gallery, Barbados

SELECTED JURIED EXHIBITIONS

2007: Transformation – From Fabric to Fabulous: Ratner Museum, Bethesda, MD.
Silk Is…: US District Courthouse, Greenbelt, MD.

2006: Emerging Visions on Silk: Ratner Museum, Bethesda, MD.

Orchids in Art: Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD.

2005: National Capital Orchid Society Art Show: National Arboretum, Washington, DC.

2004: Color & Light on Silk: Sandy Spring Museum, Olney, MD.

2003: Botanical Art on Silk: National Arboretum, Washington, DC.

National Capital Orchid Society Art Show: National Arboretum, Washington, DC.

2002: Hang With The Best: National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC.
Let Freedom Ring: Page-Walker Arts Center, Cary, NC.
National Capital Orchid Society Art Show: National Arboretum, Washington, DC.

2001: We Cannot Walk Alone: Page-Walker Arts Center, Cary, NC.

National Capital Orchid Society Art Show: National Arboretum, Washington, DC.

2000: Windows On The World: Exploris Museum, Raleigh, NC.

Arts Council of Moore County Annual Exhibition: Southern Pines, NC.

AWARDS/GRANTS
2008: United Arts Council of Raleigh Regional Project Grant.
2006: Best Needlework, Orchids in Art, Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD.
2005: 2nd Place, National Capital Orchid Society Art Show, National Arboretum, Washington, DC.
2003: 3rd Place, National Capital Orchid Society Art Show, National Arboretum, Washington, DC.
2002: 1st Place, National Capital Orchid Society Art Show, National Arboretum, Washington, DC.
2001: 2nd Place, National Capital Orchid Society Art Show, National Arboretum, Washington, DC.
2000: 2nd Place, Arts Council of Moore County Fine Arts Show, Southern Pines, NC
PRESS COVERAGE
2006: Pictures all spun in silk. Carolle Bourne, The Nation News, Barbados.
Exciting, soothing art on silk. Allison Ramsay, The Barbados Advocate, Barbados.

2004: A smooth canvas: Valerie Marino, Cary News, Cary, NC.

Colours of the Caribbean. The Barbados Advocate, Barbados.
Hanging out with Latifah. Carolle Bourne, The Nation News, Barbados.

2003: Take a journey through nature in silk. Kim Bryan, The Barbados Advocate, Barbados.
Deborah follows her heart. The Barbados Advocate, Barbados.

2002: Artists respond to terror: Lisa Coston, Cary News, Cary, NC.

2000: “Colorful” artist sets up shop in Cleveland. J.T. Smith, Cleveland Post, Garner, NC.
Unique results are part of challenge for silk artist. Linda Martinez, The Smithfield Herald, Smithfield, NC.

TELEVISION INTERVIEWS
2004: Morning Barbados. Jewel Forde, CBC Television, Barbados.

2003: Morning Barbados. Carol Roberts, CBC Television, Barbados.

The Chat Room. Peta Alleyne, CBC Television, Barbados.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2005 – pres.: Beginner and Intermediate silk painting workshops, The SilkArt Studio, Cary, NC.
2003: Guest instructor in silk painting, Queens College and Ursuline Convent School, Barbados.
2002 & 2003: Guest art instructor in silk painting, Broughton High School, Raleigh, NC.
2000 & 2001: Silk painting workshops, Jordan Hall Arts Center, Cary, NC.

WORKSHOPS ATTENDED
2005: Manipulating Fabric. Colette Wolfe, Surface Design Association (SDA) Conference.
Multiples on aTheme. Jan Janas, Greenbelt, MD.

2000: Painting Without Resist. Len Brondum, Silk Painters International (SPIN) Congress.
Exploring the Raveled Edge. Patricia Zastrow, SPIN Congress.
Colorful Brush Techiques. Vello Laanemaa, SPIN Congress.

1998: Beyond the White Line. Susan Louise Moyer, SPIN Congress.
Painting Reflections in Water. Natasha Focault, SPIN Congress.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS and ACTIVITIES

Silk Painters International: Proofreader for quarterly newsletter
Surface Design Association
Fine Arts League of Cary
Durham Art Guild

EDUCATION
1990: AAS, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York.
1988: MSc., McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
1983: BSc., University of the West Indies, Barbados.
BIO
Deborah Younglao is a self-taught artist who uses the luxurious fibers of silk to portray her love of nature. Flowers,
birds and undersea creatures come to life on shimmering silk painted with vibrant fabric dyes. A native of the
Caribbean island of Trinidad, Deborah now resides in Cary, North Carolina. Painting tropical themes is one way of
keeping in touch with her Caribbean roots. However Deborah’s focus is not limited to the Caribbean but includes
the flora and fauna of other tropical areas such as South and Central America.

Although her formal education was in Science (she holds a Bachelor’s in Biology and a Masters in Oceanography),
Deborah’s creative side led her to express her fascination with nature in an artistic rather than a scientific manner.
Deborah was introduced to dye-painting (painting with dyes instead of paint) on silk in 1997, and thus started a love
affair which has grown into a full-time calling.

The art of dye-painting on silk has a long history, and traditionally it has been used primarily to create wearable art.
Deborah prefers to see her creations hanging on the wall, where the softness and luminosity of the silk, coupled
with her bold colors, add panache to any décor. Not satisfied with only two dimensions, she also adds extra texture
to some of her pieces with machine quilting and beading.

Although basically self-taught and always experimenting, Deborah continues to develop her skills through
workshops led by renowned silk painters. She in turn introduces the technique to others by teaching classes in her
home studio. Deborah sells her work primarily at juried art shows and group exhibitions, where her work has won
several awards. She also creates commissioned pieces for private and corporate clients.

ARTIST STATEMENT
I have always been a lover of nature. From the complex patterns of a flower to the simple gleam in a bird’s eye, I
am often awestruck at nature’s design and color. I paint simply to share my experience, to let the viewer see a scene
through my eyes. Most of my work is inspired by my Caribbean roots, and my paintings are a celebration of the
vibrant colors and exotic flavor of the tropics. For me, silk is the perfect medium for this expression - it has a
luminous quality unmatched by any other natural fiber, and because the transparent dyes actually become part of the
fabric, they sparkle with wonderful brilliance. The movement of the dyes on the silk is like a dance, which I find
endlessly fascinating. I approach each painting with a sense of adventure, since the reaction of the dyes with the silk,
like nature, is unpredictable. I want people seeing my work to share that adventure with me… to revisit some exotic
place that they have been, even if only in their imagination… to feel harmony with and appreciate the beauty of our
natural world.

“Nature seems to have poured forth her riches so without calculation, merely to mark the fullness of her joy. “ - Margaret Fuller