Virtual COLLECT 2021 

International Art Fair for Modern Craft and Design  

Open 26 February – 2 March 2021 online (virtual preview 24-25 February)

The Crafts Council presents COLLECT – returning for its 17th edition. At a time when the global pandemic prevents us from coming together at Somerset House, London, collectors will be able to acquire new work by international living makers from the comfort of their own homes, courtesy of a collaboration with the global online art platform Artsy.net.  Just as it would be for a live fair, sales will open to collectors from 24 February and to a wider audience from 26 February 2021 and, for the first time, pieces will be available to purchase for a full month. 

COLLECT is one of the world’s leading art fairs for contemporary craft and design having been established in 2004 by the UK Crafts Council. COLLECT brings together international gallerists to showcase and sell work by living contemporary craft artists. Much of the work is made especially for the fair and soon finds new homes in private and public collections around the world. 

There are 30 galleries confirmed to date including from the U.S, Thailand, France, Hong Kong, Netherlands, South Korea, Norway, China, Germany and the UK. Margo Selby is honoured to have been selected to exhibit in the Design-Nation virtual ‘booth’ for COLLECT 2021 – a membership portfolio of some of the most acclaimed and innovative designers and craftspeople across the UK.

Maria Sigma is exhibiting 3 works with Design-Nation for COLLECT 2021:

Maria Sigma is a textile artist making works on a 24 shaft floor loom. The works exhibiting at Collect are products of a slow-making process while following a ‘zero waste’ philosophy. All three works took shape using two warps layered one over the other with more than 1,600 strands in total, then hand-weaving these two cloths simultaneously, by interlacing blocks visible on the surface and invisible underneath, and exposing the different natural shades of undyed wool in a distorted graphic pattern.

The three works are inspired by the book and its illustrations “The Misunderstood Monsters Of Greek Mythology” .

HYDRA takes inspiration from a misunderstood monster of Greek Mythology 'Hydra of Lerna', the serpentine water monster who was reputed to be an entrance to the underworld. Using two warps layered on top of one another, creating blocks visible at the top of the hanging, then continued to leave the rest of the warp exposed, revealing the beautiful rippled layers of undyed British wool in shades of whites, greys and Welsh black.

ECHIDNA was a monster of Greek Mythology, half-woman, and half-snake, who lived alone in a cave. It is made with two warps of natural undyed British wool and a chunky wool weft with coloured details of silk made out of waste Indian saris. It celebrates a classic bold weave in a distorted graphic pattern, created by alternatively using the two warps while focusing on texture.

CHIMERA in Greek Mythology was a monstrous fire-breathing hybrid creature composed of the parts of more than one animal.  CHIMERA took shape using two warps layered one over the other and hand-weaving these two cloths simultaneously with a thin weft, creating interlaced blocks and exposing the different shades of undyed wools.

Maria Sigma is an award-winning weaver specialising in 'zero waste' ethical hand-woven textiles based in London.

By using exceptional natural materials Maria Sigma works celebrate a timeless high aesthetic via 'zero waste' design and a slow making ethic, combining a contemporary approach of traditional weaving techniques and focusing on raw natural materials and texture.

Inspired by her Greek heritage and nature, in combination with a love for maths and craftsmanship she makes vibrant, but minimal, contemporary textiles art works that creatively interpret long-established traditional craft techniques and styles. By removing any superfluous elements, her work aims at creating high-quality luxurious hand-woven works designed to become timeless heirlooms.

After completing her studies in Textile Conservation in Greece she went on to complete a degree in Textile Design at Chelsea College of Art and Design in London. In 2015 & 2016 she was the recipient of Cockpit Arts / 'Clothworkers' Award with which she started her own practice.

DETAILS:

For receiving hi-res images and/or for arranging an interview please contact maria@mariasigma.com

www.craftscouncil.org.uk

www.craftscouncil.org.uk/collect-art-fair

www.designnation.co.uk

www.designnationshowcase.co.uk

www.artsy.net