# Aubrey Kurlansky: the artist behind the silk scarves | The Kanso Collective > Aubrey Kurlansky is a Bangkok artist who designs silk scarves from his own drawings, photographs and digital art. How he works, the collections, and where to buy in the US. Source: https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/artist [The Kanso Collective](https://thekansocollective.com/)[Aubrey Kurlansky](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/)The artist The artist Aubrey Kurlansky is an artist in Bangkok who designs silk scarves from his own drawings, photographs and digital art. His silk twill squares are printed on both sides and hand-hemmed; in the US they're sold by The Kanso Collective, $219 for a 90 cm square. [See the scarves](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/) ![Aubrey Kurlansky's pencil sketch of banana leaves](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/artist/banana-leaves-pencil-sketch.jpg) ## An artist, a designer and a photographer Aubrey works across graphic design, art and photography, and every scarf draws on all three. He spent years designing for luxury hotels, first at HBA in Singapore and then for four and a half years at Bensley in Bangkok, and his designs and artworks now hang in hotels around the world. In June 2026 he gave a talk to around 40 members of the Thai Textile Society at the Siam Society in Bangkok about where his designs come from. This page draws on that talk. ## In his own words > “Having lived in both the East and the West, traveling across a variety of countries, and being exposed to a diverse range of cultures, nature, people, design and architecture, I wanted to bring together my unique notion of grace and refinement, to make beauty visible and accessible.” > > Aubrey Kurlansky Luxury hospitality became his benchmark, and his scarves are made to suit almost anything: a pareo for the beach, a shawl over an evening dress, a square knotted with a suit. ![Aubrey Kurlansky's Blue Dragons on Vermilion Ground silk scarf draped beneath a red flower](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/artist/blue-dragons-still-life.jpg) [Blue Dragons on Vermilion Ground](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/blue-dragons-on-vermilion-ground-scarf-1020/) ## From sketch to silk “Some patterns start with drawings, some with photographs,” he says. Each one is refined, mirrored and coloured until it holds together as a pattern. ![A pencil sketch of banana leaves](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/artist/banana-leaves-pencil-sketch.jpg) **A pencil sketch of banana leaves** became [Banana Leaves in Jade and Pink](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/banana-leaves-in-jade-and-pink-scarf-1017/). He refined the line work, mirrored it, then coloured it until the pattern held together. ![Looking up into the columns of the Sagrada Família, Barcelona](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/artist/sagrada-familia-columns.jpg) **Looking up into the columns of the Sagrada Família, Barcelona** became [A Kaleidoscope in the Cathedral](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/a-kaleidoscope-in-the-cathedral-scarf-1048/). Mirrored into a kaleidoscope of stone and coloured light. ![A photograph of a tiled floor](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/artist/tiled-floor.jpg) **A photograph of a tiled floor** became [Like a Peacock Hidden in the Tiles](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/like-a-peacock-hidden-in-the-tiles-scarf-1056/). The peacock only appeared once the image was mirrored. ![A dried sea fan, a prop at a studio shoot](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/artist/pink-sea-fan.jpg) **A dried sea fan, a prop at a studio shoot** became [I'm a Fan of Pink Sea Fans](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/im-a-fan-of-pink-sea-fans-scarf-1046/). Enlarged, recoloured and layered, with a turquoise and lime green border. ### A sea fan, step by step A dried sea fan was a prop when Aubrey was photographing scarves in his studio. After the shoot he enlarged the image, coloured it, combined it with an abstract image using layer filters to change the colours, hues and contrast, then added a border in turquoise and lime green. “And voilà! A new favourite pattern is born.” It became [I'm a Fan of Pink Sea Fans](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/im-a-fan-of-pink-sea-fans-scarf-1046/). ![The dried sea fan photographed in the studio](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/artist/sea-fan-step-1.jpg) The prop ![The sea fan photograph enlarged and recoloured](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/artist/sea-fan-step-2.jpg) Enlarged and recoloured ![The sea fan mirrored into a pattern](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/artist/sea-fan-step-3.jpg) Mirrored ![The final sea fan design in pink and purple with a turquoise and lime border](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/artist/sea-fan-step-4.jpg) The final design Flowers are often the source: lilies became [A Kaleidoscope of Flowers](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/a-kaleidoscope-of-flowers-scarf-1045/), rose petals [Violet Floral Afternoon](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/violet-floral-afternoon-scarf-1044/), and lotus petals floating on bath water [Where the Lotus Glows](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/where-the-lotus-glows-scarf-1040/). The roots of an old banyan tree in Phuket became [The Forest Sleeps](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/the-forest-sleeps-long-scarf-1063/), and the Laocoön, photographed in a museum in London, became [The Laocoon](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/the-laocoon-long-scarf-1095/), a long scarf of repeating figures. ## The collections ### The Call of the Cardamom The series celebrates the wildlife of the Cardamom Forest in Cambodia and draws attention to the threat to the forest from poachers and loggers. The series launched in 2024 at The Call of the Cardamoms, a joint exhibition at the House on Sathorn in Bangkok with Bill Bensley and eight other artists and designers, where Aubrey showed paintings, photographs and silk scarves. In the shop: [The Pangolin's Defence](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/the-pangolins-defence-scarf-1032/), [The Clouded Leopard is Watching You](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/the-clouded-leopard-is-watching-you-scarf-1034/), [The Clouded Leopard Resting amongst the Flowers](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/the-clouded-leopard-resting-amongst-the-flowers-scarf-1035/). ### The opera series His Art Deco Opera Series was designed for Capella Hanoi, the hotel near the Hanoi Opera House that celebrates the fin de siècle and everything opera. In the shop: [Blanche Arral](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/blanche-arral-scarf-1025/), [Carmen](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/carmen-scarf-1026/), [Cleopatre](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/cleopatre-scarf-1028/), [Gismonda](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/gismonda-scarf-1031/), [Henri Matisse](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/henri-matisse-scarf-1029/), [Madama Butterfly](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/madama-butterfly-scarf-1030/), [Sheherazade](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/sheherazade-scarf-1024/), [Sheherazade and the King](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/sheherazade-and-the-king-scarf-1023/), [Turandot](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/turandot-scarf-1027/). Cleopatre and Gismonda are also made as kimonos. ### Tales of the Red Planet and the Phoenix series His newest work starts from digital art: the white horses and riders of the planet Xenon, and the phoenix in flame and in winter. In the shop: [Tales of the Red Planet 1: The Gathering](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/tales-of-the-red-planet-1-the-gathering-scarf-1006/), [Tales of the Red Planet 2: The Cavalry](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/tales-of-the-red-planet-2-the-cavalry-scarf-1007/), [Tales of the Red Planet 3: The Charge](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/tales-of-the-red-planet-3-the-charge-scarf-1008/), [Tales of the Red Planet 4: The Survey](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/tales-of-the-red-planet-4-the-survey-scarf-1009/), [The Phoenix Aflame](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/the-phoenix-aflame-scarf-1014/), [The Phoenix Arises](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/the-phoenix-arises-scarf-1016/), [The Winter Phoenix](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/the-winter-phoenix-scarf-1015/). ## How the scarves are made - **Silk twill,** woven in China. The squares are 90 × 90 cm or 70 × 70 cm; long scarves are 65 × 180 cm. - **Printed on both sides at once,** so the colour shows whichever way the scarf falls. “Silk is tricky to print on: it moves, like it has a life of its own,” Aubrey says. “Printing on both sides at once takes real skill.” - **Hand-hemmed** in Bangkok, with the artist's signature printed in each design. ![Banana Leaves in Jade and Pink printed on silk twill, with the hand-hemmed edge](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/artist/printed-silk.jpg) ## Where to buy Aubrey Kurlansky scarves in the US The Kanso Collective sells his scarves in the US and worldwide, with tracked shipping: $219 for a 90 cm square, $129 for 70 cm, $235 for a long scarf, $365 for a pareo, $425 for a kimono and $49 for a pocket square. [![A Kaleidoscope in the Cathedral silk scarf](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/a-kaleidoscope-in-the-cathedral-scarf.jpg) ![](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/a-kaleidoscope-in-the-cathedral-scarf-fabric.jpg)](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/a-kaleidoscope-in-the-cathedral-scarf-1048/) ### [A Kaleidoscope in the Cathedral](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/a-kaleidoscope-in-the-cathedral-scarf-1048/) Silk scarf, 90 × 90 cm $219 Made to order: delivered in 6–8 weeks [![Like a Peacock Hidden in the Tiles silk scarf](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/like-a-peacock-hidden-in-the-tiles-scarf.jpg) ![](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/like-a-peacock-hidden-in-the-tiles-scarf-fabric.jpg)](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/like-a-peacock-hidden-in-the-tiles-scarf-1056/) ### [Like a Peacock Hidden in the Tiles](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/like-a-peacock-hidden-in-the-tiles-scarf-1056/) Silk scarf, 90 × 90 cm $219 Made to order: delivered in 6–8 weeks [![The Pangolin's Defence silk scarf](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/the-pangolin-s-defence.jpg) ![](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/the-pangolin-s-defence-worn-m.jpg)](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/the-pangolins-defence-scarf-1032/) ### [The Pangolin's Defence](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/the-pangolins-defence-scarf-1032/) Silk scarf, 90 × 90 cm $219 In stock: delivered in 2–3 weeks [![Blanche Arral silk scarf](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/blanche-arral-scarf.jpg) ![](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/img/blanche-arral-scarf-fabric.jpg)](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/blanche-arral-scarf-1025/) ### [Blanche Arral](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/blanche-arral-scarf-1025/) Silk scarf, 90 × 90 cm $219 In stock: delivered in 2–3 weeks [See all 96 designs](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/) ## Questions Who is Aubrey Kurlansky? Aubrey Kurlansky is an artist in Bangkok who designs silk scarves from his own drawings, photographs and digital art. His silk twill squares are printed on both sides and hand-hemmed; in the US they're sold by The Kanso Collective, $219 for a 90 cm square. Where is Aubrey Kurlansky based? Bangkok, Thailand. He worked at HBA in Singapore and then for four and a half years at Bensley in Bangkok, designing for luxury hotels, and his designs and artworks hang in hotels around the world. How does he design his scarves? Each design starts as his own drawing, photograph or digital artwork, which he refines, mirrors and colours digitally until it works as a pattern on a square of silk. What are the scarves made of? Silk twill. The squares are printed on both sides, so the colour shows whichever way they fall, and hand-hemmed in Bangkok. The silk twill is woven in China. Where can I buy Aubrey Kurlansky scarves in the US? From The Kanso Collective at thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/, which ships to the US by tracked post. A 90 cm square is $219. How much is an Aubrey Kurlansky silk scarf? $219 for a 90 × 90 cm square, $129 for 70 × 70 cm, $235 for a 65 × 180 cm long scarf, $365 for a pareo, $425 for a kimono and $49 for a pocket square (US dollars, at The Kanso Collective). --- More: [llms.txt](https://thekansocollective.com/llms.txt) · [Facts, prices and every design](https://thekansocollective.com/llm-info/) · [Shop](https://thekansocollective.com/aubrey-kurlansky/)