Friday, 21 September 2012

Ismini Samanidou: Topography recording place and mapping surface


Ismini gave a talk about her textiles on Wednesday evening at the Crafts Study Centre where there is currently an exhibition of her work (see above). I had already visited the exhibition (see my blog Moving pictures in July) and been amazed at the expressive poetic surfaces Ismini can produce by weaving. She described her philosophy as seeing beauty in the everyday and expressed the idea that ‘through weaving you understand life better’. She comes from a scientific background and said she was drawn to weaving because it incorporates boundaries and rules. Much of her work is concerned with layers and disturbing boundaries and incorporating them to produce new surfaces and textures. She has spent time in different parts of the world photographing fascinating surfaces, leaf patterns, sand ripples, water currents and other layers linked to the elements. Her current project deals with ephemeral ever-changing cloud formations.

Ismini described her textile journey beginning with her original interest in photography and weaving, through teaching and her residencies, and her enormous piece Timeline made in 2009 for the Jerwood space, culminating in the current exhibition at the Crafts Study Centre which has brought her work of the past 10 years together. Ismini charmed us on Wednesday evening with her talk, her personality and above all with her exquisite textiles.

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