Galla Grotto

Galla Grotto

Galla Grotto

Bio

Galla Grotto is a French artist of Russian origin and a professionally trained artist. She holds two higher education degrees: one in Interior Design and another in Urban Environment Art and Design.

Throughout her artistic career, she has worked in interior design, created large-scale murals and architectural artworks, and actively participated in numerous exhibitions. Her work has received prestigious awards at renowned art venues and exhibitions.

Around 15 years ago, Galla discovered textile art and has since made it an essential part of her artistic practice. She has become a guest artist and invited teacher at international textile and quilting festivals, where she shares her artistic approach, techniques and creative experience. Teaching and mentoring have become an important part of her professional activity.

Alongside her career as an artist, Galla has worked in various creative and media-related professions. She has collaborated with different publications as a journalist and art writer, writing articles about contemporary art and culture, and has authored several books. She has also worked in television as a journalist and presenter.

Today, Galla combines her experience in visual art, design, writing and textile art, creating distinctive works that explore the relationship between artistic expression, craftsmanship and contemporary textile practice.

Artist Statement

My artistic practice is rooted in a dialogue between visual art, design, architecture and textile. Trained in Interior Design and Urban Environment Art and Design, I have always been interested in the relationship between space, form, structure and the human experience.

My journey into textile art began approximately fifteen years ago and gradually became a central part of my creative practice. I see textile not simply as a craft or a traditional medium, but as a contemporary artistic language with its own expressive possibilities. Through fabric, thread, colour, texture and layered construction, I explore ideas of identity, memory, nature, human relationships and the passage of time.

My background in painting and design strongly influences the way I approach textile composition. I work with colour and form as a painter, while thinking about structure and space as a designer. The tactile and labour-intensive nature of textile techniques adds another dimension: time becomes an integral part of the artwork. Every stitch, layer and fragment contributes to the rhythm and emotional character of the piece.

I am particularly interested in transforming familiar materials and techniques into contemporary visual narratives. My works often combine precision and spontaneity, detailed craftsmanship and an intuitive approach to composition.

Alongside my studio practice, teaching has become an important part of my artistic life. As a guest artist and invited teacher at international textile and quilting festivals, I share techniques and creative approaches while encouraging participants to develop their own visual language.

Today, my practice continues to evolve at the intersection of art, design and textile, with a constant curiosity for new materials, techniques and ways of communicating through the handmade.

Selected Exhibitions

  • NADELWELT, Karlsruhe, Germany. 2026, 2024, 2022, 2021
  • Le Fil en Fête, Saint-Jean-d’Angély, France. 2026, 2024, 2018, 2016
  • Cultural Centre of Skierniewice, Skierniewice, Poland. Guest of Honour. 2026
  • Creative Leisure Fair, Brive-la-Gaillarde, France. Guest of Honour. 2026, 2024, 2020
  • Quilt Canada, Toronto, Canada. 2025, 2018, 2017
  • QFiK, Seoul, South Korea. Guest of Honour. 2025
  • Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, United Kingdom. 2025 (NEC, Guest of Honour), 2021, 2018
  • Patchwork Exhibition, Ballancourt, France. Guest of Honour. 2025
  • Patchwork Exhibition, Égly, France. Guest of Honour. 2024
  • Solo Exhibition, Farfield Mill Gallery, Cumbria, England. Guest of Honour. 2024
  • 2nd Embroidery & Patchwork Exhibition, Connantre, France. Guest of Honour. 2024
  • Quilt Feyre, Belfast, United Kingdom. Guest of Honour. 2024
  • Patchwork Exhibition, Gelles, France. Guest of Honour. 2024
  • Craft & Quilt Fair, Sydney, Australia. 2024
  • International Quilt Festival, Houston, USA. 2023
  • NADELWELT, Friedrichshafen, Germany. 2023
  • La Promenade Artistique de Molineuf, France. 2023
  • Quilt Canada, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 2023
  • International Patchwork Festival, Gandia, Spain. Guest of Honour. 2023
  • International Exhibition Pour l’Amour du Fil, Nantes, France. 2023
  • Tendances Créatives, Montpellier, France. Guest of Honour. 2023
  • Le Printemps des Femmes, Chambray-lès-Tours, France. Guest of Honour. 2023
  • International Patchwork Festival, Sitges, Spain. 2023
  • 13th Patchwork Forum, Marcoussis, France. Guest of Honour. 2023
  • Quilt Events Costa Rica, Costa Rica. Guest of Honour. 2023
  • Creative Leisure & Textile Fair, Valenciennes, France. Guest of Honour. 2023
  • Salon des Créateurs, Andernos-les-Bains, France. Guest of Honour. 2022
  • Espace Victor Hugo, Lisieux, France. 2022
  • 32nd Arts & Crafts Exhibition, Balan-Miré, France. Guest of Honour. 2022
  • Autumn Exhibition of Mondoubleau, France. 2022
  • 5th Textile Art Exhibition, Cardamome Gallery, Saint-Prest, France. 2022
  • Créativa, Rouen, France. Guest of Honour. 2022
  • 12th International Biennial of Naïve & Outsider Art, Saint-Junien, France. 2022
  • Galerie Mes Deux Mondes et l’Art, Périgueux, France. 2022
  • Quilt Expo in Beaujolais, Villefranche-sur-Saône, France. 2022; 5th edition, 2016; 4th edition, 2013; 3rd edition, 2012
  • International Quilt Festival, Luxembourg. 2022
  • Patchwork & Quiltdagen, Rijswijk, Netherlands. 2022
  • New England Quilt Museum, Lowell, USA. 2022
  • Tendances Créatives, Tours, France. Guest of Honour. 2022
  • Creative Leisure & Textile Fair, Biarritz, France. Guest of Honour. 2022
  • Creative Leisure & Textile Fair, Saint-Étienne, France. Guest of Honour. 2022
  • Fragments, Musée de la Chemiserie, Argenton-sur-Creuse, France. 2021
  • Regional Fiber Arts Exhibition, Périgueux, France. Guest of Honour. 2021
  • Creative Leisure & Textile Fair, Besançon, France. Guest of Honour. 2021
  • La Mosaïque de Textile Festival, Riga, Latvia. Guest of Honour. 2021
  • International Art Exhibition, Aubusson, France. 2021
  • Creative Leisure & Textile Fair, Dijon, France. Guest of Honour. 2021
  • International Exhibition of Art & Contemporary Expression, Lavaveix-les-Mines, France. 2021, 2019, 2017
  • Crossing Oceans, Farfield Mill Gallery, Cumbria, United Kingdom. 2021
  • International Quilt Museum, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. 2020
  • Russian Weekend, Vanosc, France. Guest of Honour. 2020
  • JA du Lot, Labastide-Murat, France. Guest of Honour. 2020
  • Patchwork en Quilten, Netherlands. Guest of Honour. 2020
  • Fils Croisés, Cholet, France. Guest of Honour. 2020
  • Creative Leisure & Textile Fair, Limoges, France. Guest of Honour. 2019
  • 25th European Patchwork Meeting, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, France. 2019
  • Quilt Canada, EY Centre, Ottawa, Canada. 2019
  • Palazzo De Rosis, Rossano, Catanzaro, Italy. 2019
  • Quilting Day del Piemonte, Avigliana, Turin, Italy. 2019
  • Centrum Kreatywności, Warsaw, Poland. Guest of Honour. 2019
  • International Textile Art Competition, Verona, Italy. 2019
  • Open International Quilt Fest, Moscow, Russia. 2019
  • Filo lungo filo, un nodo si farà, Italy. Guest of Honour. 2018
  • 2nd International Textile Art Festival, Benalmádena, Spain. 2018
  • Jeanne Villepreux-Power Exhibition, Juillac, France. 2018
  • Alliant Energy Quilt Contest, Madison, USA. 2018
  • 11th International Biennial of Naïve & Outsider Art, Saint-Junien, France. 2018
  • Exhibition, Perpezac-le-Blanc, France. 2018
  • Fils Croisés, Agde, France. Guest of Honour. 2018
  • International Textile Art Biennale, Villefranche-sur-Saône, France. 2018
  • Prague Patchwork Meeting, Prague, Czech Republic. 2018
  • Quilt Weekend, Riccione, Italy. Guest of Honour. 2018
  • La Nature au Féminin, Tulle, France. 2017
  • Tendances Créatives, Toulouse Exhibition Centre, France. 2017
  • La Mosaïque de Patch Festival, Moscow, Russia. 2017
  • De Fil en Tissus Festival, Saint-Bard, France. 2017
  • Grigris Competition, Saint-Sulpice-sur-Risle, France. 2017
  • De Fil en Fil Festival, Chabeuil, France. 2017, 2015
  • 5th International Patchwork & Textile Art Exhibition Aigu’illes en Luberon, France. 2017
  • Verona Tessile, Verona, Italy. 2017
  • Quilt Fest, Moscow, Russia. 2017
  • 14th L’Aiguille-en-Fête, Paris, France. 2017
  • Vendéequilt, La Roche-sur-Yon, France. 2016
  • Tendances Créatives, Bordeaux, France. 2016
  • Grigris Competition, France Patchwork, France. 2016
  • European Quilt Championships, Maastricht, Netherlands. 2016
  • International Textile Exhibition, Suzdal, Russia. Guest of Honour. 2016
  • In the Manner of 20th-Century Artists, Textile Exhibition, La Capelle-Bleys, France. Guest of Honour. 2016
  • Festival du Lin et de l’Aiguille, Vallée du Dun, Seine-Maritime, France. 2016
  • Fiber Arts Festival, Forcalquier, France. 2016
  • Kurochka Ryaba Festival, Saint Petersburg, Russia. Guest of Honour. 2015
  • Textile Arts Festival, Brioude, France. 2014
  • France Patchwork Exhibition, Maison de Pays, Mornant, France. 2013
  • L’Arbre, le Paysage, Textile Exhibition, La Capelle-Bleys, France. Guest of Honour. 2013
  • 1st International Patchwork & Textile Art Exhibition, Girona, Spain. 2012
  • Costumes & Ethnic Embroidery, Textile Exhibition, La Capelle-Bleys, France. Guest of Honour. 2012
  • L’Aiguille en Fête, Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris, France. 2011
  • Espace-Art Exhibition, IUFM, Bourges, France. 2011
  • 2nd Quilt Expo in Beaujolais, Graves-sur-Anse, France. 2011
  • Textile Exhibition, Espace Art Textile, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, France. 2011
  • Aigu’illes en Luberon, Textile Exhibition, Vallée d’Aigues, France. 2011
  • Textile Exhibition, Harelbeke, Belgium. 2011
  • La Mosaïque de Patchs de Russie, Galerie Belyaevo, Moscow, Russia. Guest of Honour. 2011
  • Moi, Varègue, Village des Créateurs, Lyon, France. 2011
  • Maison de La Vache qui Rit, Lons-le-Saunier, France. 2010
  • La Vache qui Rit Textile Exhibition, Courcelles-lès-Montbard, France. 2010
  • 1st Quilt Expo in Beaujolais, Graves-sur-Anse, France. 2010
  • Comme un Tableau, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, France. 2010
  • Art du Quilt, Morzine, France. 2010
  • Patchwork Exhibition, CEP, Sallèles-d’Aude, France. 2009
  • Tendances Créatives, Marseille, France. 2009
  • European Patchwork Centre (CEP), Sallèles-d’Aude, France. 2008
  • ID Créatives, Clermont-Ferrand, France. 2008

Awards & Honours

Textile Art

  • Three Awards, Quilt Canada, Toronto, Canada, 2025
  • 3rd Prize, ORT 24 International Competition, Sydney, Australia, 2024
  • Jury Prize, Quilt Canada, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 2023
  • 2nd Prize, Quilt Canada, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 2023
  • Award of Excellence, International Exhibition Pour l’Amour du Fil, Nantes, France, 2023
  • 2nd Prize, International Textile Art Competition, Sitges, Spain, 2023
  • 2nd Prize, International Textile Art Competition, Verona, Italy, 2019
  • 2nd Prize, Art – People & Critters, Quilt Canada, 2017
  • Public Choice Award, 5th International Patchwork & Textile Art Exhibition
  • Aigu’illes en Luberon, France, 2017
  • 1st Prize, Verona Festival, Verona, Italy, 2017
  • Design Trophy, European Quilt Championships, Maastricht, Netherlands, 2016
  • Special Quiltmania Award, European Quilt Championships, Maastricht, Netherlands, 2016
  • Public Choice Award, Fiber Arts Festival, Forcalquier, France, 2016
  • Jury Prize, Textile Art Biennale, Quilt Expo in Beaujolais, France, 2016

Painting

  • 3rd Prize in Acrylic Painting, Les Automnales, Château de la Mothe, Mérinchal, France, 2018
  • Special Univers des Arts Award, Art Exhibition, Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, France, 2018
  • Theme Award, 42nd Art Exhibition of Descartes, France, 2018
  • Award from the Loches Sud Touraine Community of Municipalities, 42nd Art Exhibition of Descartes, France, 2018
  • Exhibition Award, 55th CEA Le Ripault Art Exhibition, Vaugourdon, France, 2017
  • 2nd Prize in Acrylic Painting, Les Automnales, Château de la Mothe, Mérinchal, France, 2016
  • 1st Prize for the Theme, 13th International Arts Festival, La Bourboule, France, 2016
  • Vermeil Medal, Arts-Sciences-Lettres Academic Society, Paris, France, 2016
  • Exhibition Award, 27th Artists’ Exhibition, La Roche-Posay, France, 2016
  • 3rd Prize in Painting, 7th Contemporary Art Exhibition, Château de la Mothe, Mérinchal, France, 2015
  • Bronze Medal, Autumn Exhibition of Art Ripagériens, Rive-de-Gier, France, 2012
  • Golden Brush Award, 2nd Pastel Exhibition of the Monts du Lyonnais, Saint-Laurent-d’Agny, France, 2012
  • Creative Achievement Award, Autumn Exhibition, Ternay, France, 2011
  • Art Lovers’ Award, Winter Exhibition, Lyon, France, 2011
  • Silver Medal, Arts-Sciences-Lettres Academic Society, Paris, France, 2010
  • Jury Prize, Art et Lumière Exhibition, Vourles, France, 2010
  • Bronze Medal & Public Choice Award, Autumn Exhibition, Rive-de-Gier, France, 2010
  • Gold Medal in Figurative Painting, Salon des Arts Ripagériens, Rive-de-Gier, France, 2009

Notable Collections

Galla's work is held in private collections in France and internationally.

Publications

2025 Festival of Quilts: Special Exhibits, Okan Arts – Women’s Encyclopaedia, featuring Galla Grotto, 2025

Journeys: Crossing Oceans — Textile Artists, Farfield Mill, Cumbria, United Kingdom – Artist feature, works Matin, Jour, Soir, 2021

Fragment(s): Art Textile Contemporain, Echosciences Centre-Val de Loire, France – Exhibition press dossier, featuring Libertas, 2021

Crossing Oceans — Textile Artists, Patchwork & Quilting, United Kingdom – Feature, Red Fish, February 2020