Alma Thomas

Alma was born in 1962 in Rustenburg, SA. She studied Fashion Design in Johannesburg, mainly because of her love and passion for fabrics. After having a clothing range for a long time she needed to create and explore new things.

At that stage she was introduced to (the possibilities of) digital printing. It gave her the ability to create and print oversized wallcarpets, ‘lappies’ as she calls them. To create these oversized beauties she shapes, cuts, layers and trims images to produce unique pieces.

The image is digitally printed on paper, and this paper is pressed through large heat rollers, together with the specific choosen piece of fabric, to set the ink in the fabric. The prints – because it is done one by one, largely controlled by hand – might have the odd flaw now and then. In Alma’s opinion this contributes to more exclusiveness. She calls it the perfect imperfection.‘To me every piece is unique and must make you want to linger for a while and wonder and come back, every ‘lappie’ has a soul and tells a story….’ Alma says.