Born in Neuchatel, Switzerland, in 1943, Françoise Grossen is a pioneering fiber artist whose midcentury work bridged contemporary installation art and traditional craft. Though she began her studies focused on architecture, she transitioned to textile design after living and teaching French in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon. She went on to completed a degree at the School of Arts and Crafts in Basel, Switzerland, in 1967. Around this time, Grossen was exposed to the work of Lenore Tawney, Claire Zeisler, and Sheila Hicks at an exhibition in Zurich. Perceiving a kinship, she became motivated to relocate to the the United States, where she completed a MA at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1969. Her first job upon graduating was with legendary textile designer and ACC Gold Medalist Jack Lenor Larsen’s firm in New York City. Grossen’s large-scale knotted and braided rope sculptures have been collected and shown internationally, including in the landmark 1969 exhibition “Wall Hangings” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. She recently gained representation with gallerists Blum & Poe and is experiencing a rekindled interest in her revolutionary career. She has been recognized with the Women in Design International Honor Award (1981) and a National Endowment for the Arts Award (1977). Françoise Grossen was elected a Fellow of the American Craft Council in 2016.