Marie Lieb

An assemblage of torn fabric strips from the bed sheets of Marie Lieb. Little is known of this woman, who created this startling display on the floor of a psychiatric ward where she was interned in 1894. The two installations are on two different floors, possibly public spaces in the hospital as they are larger than an individual room for someone interned. they include gradations of fabric sizes from strips to thread and include writing.

This leads to the assumptions that Lieb wanted to make a statement not only for herself but also for others, and that this statement was not only about claiming space but also about sending a message, if unreadable to others. In this quality these floor pieces remind me of secret rituals, like witches’ writings on the ground. It is imaginable that the patient was convinced what she did exerted magical power. Thomas Röske

Teresa Byszewska

 Surreal textile collage portraits by Polish Graphic designer Teresa Byszewska (1929-2018) who died just 2 months ago at the age of 99.

In 1950 Teresa commenced her studies at the Faculty of Graphic Arts of the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts initially in the studio of Henryk Tomaszewski, and then Józef Mroszczak until 1956. On graduating she worked designing film posters and illustrations for children She also collaborated with Jan Lenica in creating animated films.

Teresa Byszewska from daniel bird on Vimeo.

Later she specialised in her textile portraits. In the 1980's she then turned her focus to drawing and frottage taking rubbings from her textile work.

Jen Nollaig

“We glamorise the tree, why not glamorise ourselves” Jen Nollaig 

This is Jen Nollaig's second Christmas collection repurposing seasonal decorations into amazing costumes.

“I have always been fanatical about Christmas so I have used this as the inspiration for my work. I look at decorations and think how I can wear them rather than how they will look on my tree.”

Britta Marakatt-Labba II

Swedish Sámi textile artist Britta Marakett-Labba's embroidered renderings of Sâmi life. Britta's life story is quite amazing as she was one of nine children born into a reindeer herding family. She is now married to a reindeer herder from Saarivuoma Sámi village and is resident in Övre Soppero. Her work is from the heart, from memories and her culture, it has the wonderful space of snow-covered tundra and a white crispness that makes you feel the ice on your breath.