Sia Hurtigkarl — Plain Weave
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
Displaying designer Sia Hurtigkarl’s ability to challenge perceptions over traditional approaches to textile production and use, Plain Weave shifts both scale and medium in order to create a three- dimensional spatial object. The miniature warp and weft of standard textile production has been re-contextualised through the use of hand dyed and waxed paper strands reaching from floor to ceiling between a slender pine wood frame. A slowly shifting gradient effect from pink to the papers natural white has been meticulously created as a reflection of the laborious process of hand-dying fabric yarns within traditional textile manufacturing. Transparency and a textural volume transforms a usually flat craft into an object that interacts with space and light, promoting diversity within textile techniques and outcomes.
Material and dimensions:
Paper, pine.
220 x 240 cm
Year:
2023
PHOTOGRAPHY BY:
Anders Sune Berg
VIDEOGRAPHY BY:
Benjamin Lund
LONG DESCRIPTION:
The initial idea behind Plain Weave was first instigated during a period in Nepal working alongside local weavers. These local craftspeople worked with traditional methods – spinning, coating and colouring all natural yarns by hand prior to weaving and forming them into textiles. This intensely laborious process of transforming a raw material into a textile ready yarn was eye opening for Hurtigkarl, highlighting the disparity between material sourcing and processing and the items we wear and use on a daily basis. Aiming to enlarge and celebrate these raw materials and processes, Plain Weave instead utilises another everyday material – paper. Working with this simple, accessible material gave Hurtigkarl the freedom to explore scale, as well as colouring and finishing; the final weaved structure features a translucent, glossy texture through the use of beeswax. Combining the beeswax with a hand-dyed pink gradient mirrors processes of the traditional Nepalese craftspeople, transforming a simple material into something with value and dimension.
DESIGNER BIO:
Sia Hurtigkarl
Designer, born 1992.
Working from a combination of cocooned private studio and open industrial workspace on Amager in Copenhagen’s south, the work of designer Sia Hurtigkarl oscillates between smaller human scaled works and larger installations. A strong focus within her outcomes is utilising her training as a designer and craftsperson across various mediums and scales, whilst challenging the meaning and breadth of what textile design and craft is and can be in the future. She combines strong notions of craft with a deep connection to storytelling – referencing the traditions of textiles to portray historical stories into contemporary narratives about culture, craft and locality. She embraces the challenges of navigating cultural awareness and appropriation – uniting her own heritage with those of the craftspeople she collaborates alongside. A holistic and transparent work practice creates a strong dialogue throughout her entire process, with work that is often intended to provoke and provide introspection within the viewer or user.
EDUCATION:
2021: MA, Object & Furniture, Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2018: BA, Man and Identity, with minor in textiles, Design Academy Eindhoven, Netherlands.
2018: Cum Laude Graduate, Design Academy Eindhoven, Netherlands.
GRANTS AND HONOURS:
2023: Residency, From Textile Masters to New Talent, Kathmandu, Nepal and Rajasthan, India.
2023: Working Grant, The Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
2023: Project Grant, Grosserer L.F. Foghts Foundation, Denmark.
2022: 1st Prize, Message Understood, Danish Design Awards, Denmark.
2022: Nomination, New Talent, Danish Design Award, Denmark.
2022: Project Grant, Denmark’s Nationalbanks Jubilæumsfond of 1968, Denmark.
2021: Nomination, Art Prize, Artists Autumn Exhibition, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2021: Project Grant, The Klint Trust Fund, Denmark.
2018: Nomination, Melkweg Award, Netherlands.
EXHIBITIONS:
2023: Group Exhibition, The Room I Walk The Line, Forma Gallery, Berlin, Germany.
2023: Group Exhibition, House of Nordic Design, 3daysofdesign, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2023: Group Exhibition, Trapholt Collect 23, Trapholt, Kolding, Denmark.
2022: Group Exhibition, Guest Workers, Design Museum Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2021: Group Exhibition, Artists Autumn Exhibition, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2020: Group Exhibition, Ukurant, 3daysofdesign, Copenhagen, Denmark. 2018: Group Exhibition, Folklore, Trend Union, Paris, France.
2018: Group Exhibition, G18, Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven, Netherlands.
COLLECTIONS:
2023: Special Edition – SPORT, Kunst på Arbejdet, Denmark.
2023: Permanent Collection, Design Museum Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2022: Permanent Collection, Trapholt Museum, Kolding, Denmark.
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