Textile and Fiber Art: Tradition, Emotion, and Activism.
Textiles have long been seen as utilitarian objects, linked to everyday life through clothing, shelter, and domesticity. However, textile and fiber art has transcended its functional origins, becoming a potent medium for emotional expression, storytelling, and activism. This article explores how contemporary textile artists and curators are using fibers, threads, and fabrics to address a broad range of issues, from personal narratives to global concerns. Through examining the presentations of various panelists at an international textile art event, we discover the versatility and intensity of textile art, encompassing emotions, family histories, political discourses, and even the healing arts.
Textile and fiber art, historically rooted in tradition, has evolved into a versatile and dynamic medium that addresses a wide range of contemporary issues. This brief essay reflects on the various approaches and narratives presented by textile artists and curatorsnternational panel curated by Lala De Dios for the Guimarães Biennial, where the multifaceted roles of textiles in conveying emotions, telling personal and collective stories, interacting with politics, and functioning as a therapeutic medium were explored. The panelists, from different cultural backgrounds and artistic visions, highlighted the intensity of textile art in exposing topics such as motherhood, memory, sustainability, activism, and healing. The conclusion emphasizes the unique ability of textiles to connect touch with thought, craftsmanship with concept, and the personal with the political, positioning textile art as a powerful tool for both creative expression and social change.
Emotions and Personal Narratives: The Intimacy of Textiles. One of the most emotional presentations was that of Barbara Long, from Spain and the UK. Her project The Making of Mother Material is a tribute to her mother, exploring the emotional bond between mothers and daughters through textile art. Using fabrics, Long captures the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, demonstrating how textiles can communicate deep, personal emotions. Meghan Price, from Canada, presented Soft Rock, a work that fuses textiles with geological elements to explore the concept of deep time. Price invites the viewer to reflect on how natural materials and textures can connect with emotional and historical narratives, blending nature and human experience in a singular work.
Politics and Activism: Threads of Social Change.
Textiles are not only personal but deeply political. Historically, they have been used as symbols of power, commerce, and oppression, and contemporary artists are reclaiming this medium to address social and political issues. Transcending Threads by Dominika Krogulska-Czekalska explores post-textile discourse in activism, examining how textiles can be used to challenge social norms and advocate for change. In her work, fibers become tools of resistance, intertwining personal expression with collective action. The versatility of textiles also extends to sustainability, as seen in Anto Lloveras' project Re-(t)exHile, which explores textile architecture and sustainable fashion in Africa. Lloveras' work highlights the environmental impact of textile production and consumption, advocating for more conscious approaches to design and material use. This political dimension of textile art underscores the responsibility of artists to address urgent global issues through .
Memory and Collective Stories: Weaving the Past into the Present.
Textiles are also vehicles of memory, carrying with them traces of the past. The work of Esther Grau Quintana as co-curator of the Josep Grau-Garriga exhibition highlights this connection, focusing on how memory is woven into the fabrics of his tapestries. Through tactile materials, Grau-Garriga evokes personal and collective stories that shape identity and culture, illustrating how textiles can act as a material archive of human experience. Zala Orel, with her exploration The Story of a String and a Stone, delves into the historical significance of textiles, linking ancient practices with contemporary artistic narratives. Textiles, through their tactile qualities, offer a tangible connection to the past, reminding us of the hands that wove them, the stories they tell, and the cultures they represent. This intersection between past and present in textile art allows for reflection on continuity and change, making textiles a medium that bridges generations.
Healing and Therapy: The Soothing Power of Textiles.
One of the most profound aspects of textile art is its therapeutic potential. Brigida Ribeiros' exploration of Therapeutic Textiles reveals the healing properties of gauze, a fabric often associated with medical care. Ribeiros demonstrates how textiles, through their softness and flexibility, can promote healing, both physical and emotional. Her work emphasizes the role of textiles as mediators of touch, where the act of weaving, sewing, or wrapping becomes a form of care. Laurita Siles' Mutur Beltz project advocates for a form of textile art that not only heals people but also the planet.
Textile and fiber art, through its versatility and intensity, opens a space for diverse forms of expression, ranging from deeply personal emotions to broad political activism. The presentations by these international artists and curators demonstrate how textiles can be used to convey complex narratives, connect past and present, and address both individual and collective experiences. The tactile nature of textiles makes them particularly suited to exploring themes of care, memory, and healing, while their cultural and historical significance gives them a powerful political charge. Whether used to reflect on personal experiences like motherhood or to challenge social structures, textile art provides a rich, multifaceted medium through which stories are told, emotions are felt, and change is created. In conclusion, textile art is not simply a decorative or utilitarian craft; it is a profound mode of artistic expression that has the power to connect touch with thought, craftsmanship with concept, and the personal with the political. Through their work, these artists demonstrate the enduring relevance of textile art in contemporary discourse, making it a vital tool for creative exploration and social change.
Guimaraes, September 2024
