‘The beautiful game’
Documenting (hi)story in textile has been fascinating me for many years – in particular tapestries as an ancient, contemplative medium. My research is centred around the role that textiles play in the ritualised staging of football. For example the “tifo" art that the fans make or the mini tapestries that the teams exchange before the game. It seems like not only the mediaeval idea of a tournament as a practice for war, but also its banners and coats of arms have found their way into the modern football game.
My graduation project is a tapestry that tries to disclose and document our modern day version of the tournament. The tapestry of Bayeux, which tells the story of a holy war while mixing it with ancient Greek fables, served as a major inspiration. This way of storytelling I also use in both the tapestry and my fashion collection.
By manipulating the embroidery machine through cutting or skipping stitches I aim to show a visible process while also creating a more textured outcome. This playful way of working is just as important in my collection. I bring in multiple techniques that clash and condense in my looks, such as delicate hand embroidery versus modern vectorized embroidery machine, or the burn-out technique combined versus water transfer printing. Working around a central topic while using different techniques and media is a recurring aspect of my practice. I owe a lot to the help of my collaborators, who enrich the project with their personal skills.
