The very first craft I tried and practiced at the age of 8 is gobelin making. My mom being an expert in cutwork and all types of needle point work transferred that love to me, so although considered kitsch nowadays - gobelins have a soft spot in my heart. So imagine my excitement when I came upon this artist who shares the same love, but has taken it to a different level of art!
Meet Ulla-Stina Wikander, a Sweden based artist who raids vintage shops and flea markets in search for gobelins that she uses to give old domestic objects a new face.
"For more then 10 years I have collected cross stitch embroidery and
today I have a big collection with over 100 different designs. These
embroideries have been made by women and is often seen as kitch and
regarded pretty worthless. I have mixed feelings for them but sometimes
they are very beautiful and I want to bring them back to life.
In 2012 I started to cover ordinary household items from the 70s, like a
vacuum cleaner, sewing machine, electric mixer etc. I find it
interesting to see how these objects transforms in a new context; the obsolete, the things we do not want any longer, the old and forgotten
things. They become artifacts from a begone era, disguised, camouflaged
and dressed. I give them a second life and although I cut the
embroideries into pieces, I think they look very beautiful, when they
have been ”dressed up".
Isn't this amazing? I am literally blown away with the masterfully cloaked objects! It is surely not something you see every day. Check out Ulla's instagram if you want to explore more of her work.
I've never seen anything like this before - and it's so beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMe too Nova! I wouldn't be able to do anything similar :)
DeleteI have mixed feelings about this. I am a gobelin sewer, but I use them on my walls. The fact that this lady bring the works back to another kind of life is meritorious.
ReplyDeleteMy mom has a wall adorned with several of her favourite gobelins, and her heart broke when she saw these. Me? I was amazed. I also found a lady who makes skirts and coats using gobelins. They are so tastefully done I am actually contemplating making something similar.
ReplyDeleteTres belle.
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic work. I adore makes that come with a sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo