The Artist Who Wants to Banish Fear of Color

Kaffe Fassett has often said that his mission in life is to “banish the fear of color.” He plays with rainbow hues the same way a painter mixes shades on a palette, using needlepoint, patchwork, painting, knitting, and ceramics to create a veritable feast of color.

An exhibition of his work, titled “The Colorful World of Kaffe Fassett,” is on display at the American Museum in Britain until November 2. Laura Beresford, the exhibition’s curator, describes the show as “textile art.”

The spectacle begins at the entrance to the exhibit area, where knitted strands decorate the garden lamps and multicolored pom-poms hang from an aged tree like jewel-bright fruit. Once inside, the visitor is treated to even more dramatic visual treasures: a royal red Chinese vase presides over other scarlet-hued creations, a deep blue patchwork rug replicates Turkish tile flooring, and crisp green vegetable patterns (from artichokes through onions to…