Our hearts are broken as we say goodbye to Chris - deeply loved wife of Fergus, mother of Caitlin & Finn, sister, auntie, friend, colleague and member of her varied communities.

We've created this memorial fund to support her immediate family through this devastating time in the hope of easing financial pressures and allowing them the space to grieve their immense loss and support each other in their healing.

We’d also like to use this platform to help recognise and remember Chrissie’s creative life, which spanned writing, fine art, photography and especially her huge, life-long contribution to the art and craft of tapestry weaving and to the magic created by the Australian Tapestry Workshop, which is evident in tapestries held around the world.

Please enjoy and celebrate:

https://www.austapestry.com.au/weaver/chris-cochius

https://www.austapestry.com.au/content/chris-cochius-celebrating-40-years-atw

https://garlandmag.com/article/the-australian-tapestry-workshop/

The 'Life Burst' tapestry, above, designed by John Olsen AO OBE (2016) is on permanent display at the Peter MacCallum HQ in the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Melbourne. Chris received wonderful care at its Moorabbin centre during her initial course of treatment in 2024/25. Eight years earlier, she was one of the tapestry's fine team of world-class weavers. This video captures its amazing creation:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wSYg1akl7ow&pp=2AEAkAIB&ra=m

We're enormously grateful to the Workshop for arranging and hosting Chris's recent memorial gathering. It brimmed with the love and esteem with which Chris was held and richly described her artistic and personal legacy. Co-director/CEO of the Australian Tapestry Workshop, Sophie Travers, reflected this in her moving announcement of a new prize: The Chris Cochius Innovation Award as part of the Kate Derum and Irene Davies Awards. Chris's mum who also died just over a year ago would have been incredibly proud of such an honour - as are we all.

The workshop has written a tribute to Chris in their latest newsletter:

https://www.austapestry.com.au/content/vale-chris-cochius

Any size donation will be received with heartfelt gratitude and make a meaningful difference to supporting her family during this difficult time. We thank you so much for your generosity and kindness.

Notes:

The banner at the top shows a detail from the tapestry designed by John Wolseley (2012): 'Concerning the wading birds of the Warrnambool wetlands' and, on the right, Chris at its loom - one moment from the more than 40 years that she dedicated to her weaving career at the ATW.

Chris loved and was inspired by the natural world and she is pictured at the start of this story in front of a tapestry designed by one of her favourite artists, Janet Lawrence (2017):

'Listen, to the Sound of Plants' . . .