Designer Catherine David is based in Auckland. The pieces featured here from the Auckland Museum Applied Arts collection were purchased in 1996 with funds provided by the Disney Art Trust.

The bedroom accessories are from her 'Heavenly' range and feature Apollo, Cupid and Venus. They come from 17th century drawings she saw on a visit she made to Valetta in Malta.

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"I went to a library in Valetta in Malta and discovered these beautiful drawings from the 17th century".

Catherine at first studied architecture but by the time she graduated from Auckland University in 1991 she had realised she was more interested in design than in buildings. She set up Catherine David Designs in 1992, supplying printed cushions to design stores. When these went well she expanded her range to include bed linen.

Some designs were researched from old scientific drawings and 500 yr-old woodblock images found in the public library. A commercial printer screened her distinctive one colour designs and outworkers sewed them into bed linen. Success encouraged her to add pyjamas, and slippers to the range.

Ten years on she continues to produce and has adapted her range to move with market needs. She currently designs shower curtains with a variety of images including the text of a Tennyson poem on the passage of water. She has also expanded into stationery and lighting.

Her current designs are wholesaled through various outlets and can be seen on the net at: http://www.catherinedaviddesigns.com

From conversations between Catherine and Jean Clarkson in July 2002.