Dutch native Petra Fallaux is a writer, curator, and artist based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She co-directs an award winning architectural firm, Springboard Design, whose work includes museum, exhibition, and public interest design. After receiving degrees in psychology and film studies in the Netherlands, Petra moved to the United States where she earned a Master of Arts Management degree from Carnegie Mellon University. Upon graduation, the university hired Petra to direct its art galleries. She curated well over one hundred exhibitions in a variety of media ranging from quilts, paintings, prints, photography, sculpture, video, architecture, and design, to multi media and site specific installations.
Petra was born in the early sixties to a textile worker dad and seamstress mom in the town of Leiden, known for its rich history of broadcloth industries. From regularly visiting the mesmerizing looms her dad managed at the factory of J.J.Krantz & Zoon, to watching her mom sew on her beloved Necchi, she grew up fond of fabrics and their possibilities. Petra's approach to making quilts is grounded in art. Modern painting and design - graphic, interior or architectural - are major influences. Her ongoing art quilt series, Formations, embodies her credo of shape, color, and simplicity. Her newest work is rooted in print based surface design.