Until mid-September, the 7th International Textile and Fibre Art Triennial with the theme Quo vadis? or Where Are We Going? is taking place in Riga. The exhibition at the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design showcases the tapestries of the new-generation textile artist Emma Sofia, which address environmental sustainability. In the Nice Touch section, the artist shares a tool that helps her bring her creative ideas to life faster.
«Textile art requires time-consuming work, which can take several months or even years. Handwork will always be appreciated, but in the age of technology, things change rapidly, and there are tools available that help artists realise their visual ideas more quickly. Personally, I enjoy jumping from classical techniques to modern ones because I want to keep up with the times and capture the taste of innovation in my field.
At first, I created works using digital weaving techniques and then discovered the tufting gun, which allows me to freely express myself on fabric. A cool electric drill — that’s what I jokingly call it. At first, it wasn’t easy to use this device, but then I recalled what my Hong Kong design school lecturer always said: «Uncomfortable is good». So, I continued to refine this technique until it made my creative daily life easier.
While shooting with the tufting gun, I often think of the artist Niki de Saint Phalle, who, in the 1960s, shot at her paintings as part of her performances, thus expressing her anger at society and men’s behaviour at that time. Drawing parallels, I also free myself from experiences by shooting threads in my tapestries.»
The 7th Riga International Textile and Fibre Art Triennial is on display until September 17. In addition to textile art, Emma Sofia is also engaged in other visual arts. This week, her painting exhibition Trauma, kā jau trauma (Trauma, as Trauma) opened at the M/Gallery. You can follow the artist’s creative endeavours on her website and Instagram account.
Viedokļi