Inspired by the life and works of William Morris (1834-1896), Tanya pursued a career in the decorative arts after gaining a degree in painting from Ilam University in 1990.

Painting everything from trompe l’oeil murals (Christchurch casino 1994) to set painting, Tanya joined the Maurice Kain textile design department in 1998 under the guidance of Peter Hall   (http://www.petejhall.com/peterhall.htm) whose maxim “you are only as good as your last design” still motivates her today.

After being Art Director of Codi Design from 2005-2011, Tanya started her own company (www.tanyawolfkamp.com) specialising in illustration and textile design, based on Waiheke Island.

“There are few areas of employment available to artists who enjoy the craft of painting and drawing. While most designs end up as digital artworks, starting with pencil and paper is essential.”

Interested in all things pre-20th century, antique imagery, ideas and techniques form the basis of much of her new work, especially when related to our colonial past, as in the Fitzroy design for Hemptech, Ropata scarf design and the Botany card series for Image Gallery.