XTANT 9 - 13 MAY 2024
I am very excited to participate in the upcoming XTANT in May in Mallorca.
I will showcase new pieces inspired by this year's theme ROOTS and host two Weaving From Waste Workshops.
Workshop tickets are now live - limited places available.
May 11th: 10:30 a.m
May 13th: 4:00 p.m
Duration: 3 hours
Palma de Mallorca
‘every somewhere’ returns to themes of place and local distinctiveness explored through wood, textile and organic materials. The featured artist-makers share an instinctive approach to making through lived experience, ordering and composing nature into new forms.
Maria Sigma
In December 2022, textile designer and weaver, Maria Sigma was invited by Make Hauser & Wirth to be Somerset’s inaugural artist-maker-in-residence. During this time, her research focused on discovering new patterns within the varied local landscape and sourcing natural materials from the Durslade Estate. Sigma’s new body of work develops themes from her ongoing collection, ‘Apricity – The Warmth Of The Sun In Winter’. Her wall pieces focus on texture and materiality, each one a woven landscape which embodies a unique harmony of form, a constant exchange between processed and raw materials.
Sigma’s approach is based on creating beautiful textiles through zero waste design and craftsmanship, high quality and sustainable natural fibres being key to this philosophy. She strongly believes that the importance of weaving must be highlighted. Fabrics reside in the everyday and inhabit almost every corner of a household, creating a sense of something familiar and beloved; they create a boundary between us and nature, the culture of the body and the external world.
Sigma studied at Chelsea College of Art & Design, London, UK and since she graduated in 2014, has developed her own weaving practice in London, UK. In 2015 – 2016, she was the recipient of Cockpit Arts ‘Clothworkers’ Award. In 2017, she achieved investment support from The Prince's Trust and Virgin Start-Up Scheme. Sigma regularly hosts her ‘Weaving From Waste’ workshops which teach participants the techniques explored in her book ‘Weaving: the Art of Sustainable Textile Creation,’ published in 2020. She has exhibited as one of Design Nation’s twenty makers of ‘Exceptional Craft for Exceptional Times’ at Collect Art Fair, London, UK (2021); London Design Festival, London, UK, in partnership with Teer & Co at Planted (2021). Her recent collaborations include: Candice Lau x TOAST (2021); Selfridges, London, UK (2021); and London Craft Week at COS (2022).
DETAILS:
23 September - 18 November 2023
WED – SAT, 10 AM – 1 PM AND 2 – 4 PM
MAKE Stockwell House, 13 High Street, Bruton, Somerset BA10 0AB
READ MORE HERE
Join Make Hauser & Wirth Somerset for a workshop with award-winning designer and weaver Maria Sigma, who recently completed a residency with us in Somerset.
Taking place at The Maltings Studios in Bruton, Sigma will guide you through the process of process of hand-weaving during this intensive two-hour session. The workshop will teach foundational skills, such as basic weaving and finishing techniques, patterns and warping. Attendees will be introduced to a range of styles and encouraged to develop their own distinctive approach, while focusing on up-cycling and using waste.
The workshop will provide all the required equipment, including a small loom frame, weaving tools, scissors and instruction booklet, as well as a tote bag for attendees to keep after the session. Materials and yarns will be also provided, but we encourage you to bring your own textiles or clothing to recycle, such as tablecloths, bed sheets, pillowcases and t-shirts, or any yarns, ribbons, strings that you would like to weave with.
Tickets cost £60 per person, which includes access to all equipment and materials, as well as refreshments. Advance booking is essential.
This event coincides with Make Hauser & Wirth Somerset’s forthcoming exhibition ‘every somewhere’, featuring Maria Sigma, on view through Saturday 11 November 2023.
DATE: Saturday 23 September 2023
TIME: 14.00 - 16.00
LOCATION: The Maltings Studios, West End Bruton BA10 0BB United Kingdom
CREATE ACADEMY X HEAL'S
A TRIBUTE TO DESIGN & CRAFTMANSHIP
To celebrate the launch of Heal’s newly extended flagship store on London’s Tottenham Court Road, Create Academy has partnered with the iconic furnishing brand to create ‘The Celebration Sessions’ - a curated programme of live creative workshops, demos and talks throughout 2023 that celebrate the joy of creativity and making.
Launching during Craft Week ‘23 with a series of inspiring craft workshops, featuring names including metalwork artist Jess Wheeler, zero-waste weaver Maria Sigma and dried floral artist Bex Partridge, and will be followed by further seasonal events celebrating key moments in the UK design calendar.
LEARN MORE HERE
New one-of-a-kind pieces from my latest collection ‘Apricity’ are now available at The Garnered.
Maria Sigma, an award-winning textile designer who was recently the inaugural artist-maker-in-residence at Hauser & Wirth in Somerset, uses the ancient craft of weaving to create ethical contemporary textiles. She uses undyed natural fibres from sustainable sources and aims for a 'zero waste' product. Her new collection, 'Apricity' (which means 'the warmth of the winter sun'), showcases one of her bespoke patterns, the Ariadne diamond, which results in a richly textured weave
The new course will be launched in March 2023.
Discover the art of zero-waste weaving and turn your unwanted textiles into beautiful woven homewares with textile artist Maria Sigma. Learn how to repurpose materials such as clothes, tea towels and pillowcases into yarn and how to make frame looms and circular looms at home with simple, readily available items. Maria will guide you through every step of the weaving process, teaching you about the different weaving styles, how to choose the right looms and materials for your projects, and how to warp a frame. Through sample making and two weaving projects - covering a rag rug and a circular placemat - you will be taught how to build a colour palette and master key weaving techniques, including creating shapes and patterns, mixing colours, adding tassels, joining weaves, finishing, and troubleshooting mistakes - providing you with all the skills you need to give your old t-shirts a new lease of life.
Subscribe to find out more about to get notified once this course goes live and get access to special offers.
AN EXHIBITION FEATURING
NANCY FULLER & MARIA SIGMA
17 November 2022 - 17 January 2023
The word "Apricity" has fallen out of use, but its meaning is timeless: it expresses the feeling of basking in the gentle winter sun, encouraging a connection to transient seasons. Both makers are inspired by moments of contemplation and slow-making, fostering a sense of presence through tactile experience – both for themselves as makers, and for the viewers.
"This Exhibition features ceramics by Nancy Fuller and textiles by Maria Sigma. Their work embodies a connection to the earth through materials and making processes. Celebrating natural fibers and a slow-making ethic, Sigma's work brings a contemporary edge to traditional weaving. This collection is inspired by the Ariadne diamond pattern, deconstructing it on a larger scale for a more geometrical weaving structure and a focus on texture. " — Flow Gallery
I strongly believe that the importance of weaving must be highlighted; fabrics reside in the every day and inhabit almost every corner of a household; they create a boundary between us and nature, the culture of the body, and the external world. They contribute to creating a sense of something familiar and beloved.
[More information: Flow Gallery]
FLOW GALLERY
Wednesdays - Saturdays: 11 am - 6 pm
1-5 Needham Road, London W11 2RP
www.flowgallery.co.uk
Dates: 28 November - 9 December 2022
“Hauser & Wirth Somerset is delighted to welcome Maria Sigma as our inaugural artist-maker-in-residence this fall. Sigma is an award-winning designer and weaver specialising in ethical hand-woven textiles for interiors. Her work celebrates a slow-making ethic and ‘zero waste’ design, combining a contemporary approach to traditional weaving techniques and focusing on raw natural materials and texture.”
[More information: Hauser & Wirth ]
Date: Thursday 1 December 2022
Time: 5.30 – 8.30 pm
Address: The Maltings Studio, West End, Bruton, BA10 0BB
As part of Bruton’s annual, festive late-night shopping, the residency studios at The Maltings will be open to the public for the first time. Drop in and find out more about weaving and see me working on the loom. A selection of my recent work will be available to buy.
Roth Bar & Grill will be providing festive treats in the courtyard throughout the evening.
[More information: Hauser & Wirth]
Date: Saturday 3 December 2022
Time: 2 - 4 pm
Address: The Maltings Studio, West End, Bruton, BA10 0BB
Join us for a frame-weaving workshop at the new Maltings Studio.
Over the course of this two-hour session, I will guide you through the process of hand-weaving and teaching you foundational skills, while focusing on up-cycling and using waste materials.
We will provide all the required equipment, including a small frame loom, weaving tools and instruction booklet, as well as a tote bag for attendees to keep after the session. Materials and yarns will be also provided, but we encourage you to bring your own textiles or clothing to recycle or any other materials you would like to weave with.
The ticket includes access to equipment and materials, as well as refreshments. Advance booking is recommended to avoid disappointment.
[More information: Hauser & Wirth]
New Ariadne cushions in Sea Blue are now available at The New Craftsmen - limited pieces, along with three one-of-a-kind Ariadne throws.
The Ariadne Cushion in Sea Blue (Square), by weaver Maria Sigma, is inspired by a traditional Greek Cycladic crocheted lace pattern and a weaving technique known as pile-making. Growing up in Greece, Maria was surrounded by hand-made textiles and learned the detailed process of lacemaking as a child. Handwoven on a floor loom in Maria’s London studio, this cushion is a testament to her aesthetic heritage and captures a certain feeling of home. Minimalist and focusing on texture.
Each one of the throws is unique and made with natural undyded British alpaca and wool, and dyed waste yarns.
The entire Ariadne collection - named after a mythological heroine from Homer's Odyssey - is made from a luxurious blend of cashmere, British Alpaca and British lambswool.
For this year’s LDF I will be part of Create Academy’s pop-up at Anthropologie King’s Road Gallery.
I will be showing pieces of my newest work-in-progress collection Apricity and a selection of older work.
The new pieces are three cushions and one throw, made with natural undyed British wool, natural recycled cotton, natural jute and natural undyed orange Eri Pease silk.
Apricity means the warmth of the sun in winter and it comes from the Latin apricus, "having lots of sunshine" or "warmed by the sun”, to apricate means to bask in the sun.
I will also host two Frame Weaving From Waste Workshops - a taster of my new upcoming Create Academy weaving course set to launch in Spring ‘23.
This 2-hour workshop offers an intensive grounding in hand-weaving, teaching you the basics of frame weaving & how you can turn your household waste textiles into woven masterpieces.
You will learn foundational weaving skills, patterns, and finishing techniques. The class aims not only to cover a range of styles but also to encourage students to develop their own distinctive voices as a weaver. You can make a small wall hanging, pieces for a patchwork, a phone case, or an abstract artwork – let your imagination run wild!
A wooden frame loom and weaving tools are included for students to take home. Materials and yarns will also be provided, plus Anthropologie remnants.
Please feel free to bring your own textiles/clothes to recycle and weave (tablecloths, bed sheets, pillowcases, and t-shirts, or materials such as yarns, ribbons, and strings).
DETAILS:
Create Academy Residency: 17 September - 02 October
Mon-Sat 10.00 - 19.00, Sun 10.00 -18.00
MARIA SIGMA Pop-Up: 20 - 21 September, 10.00 - 19.00
WORKSHOP 1: 20 September, 10.00 12.00 [ONE TICKET LEFT]
WORKSHOP 2: 21 September, 14.00 - 16.00 [SOLD OUT]
Anthropologie
131-141 King's Road, London, SW3 4PW
During the month of August the studio will be close and I will be in Greece for a much-needed break to re-energize and connect with nature.
Summer in Greece is a great source of inspiration for me with its beautiful landscapes full of colour and texture. Having spent every summer here growing up, I've always found this to be an important part of the year to find space to reflect and slow down.
So from today weaving is paused, but I will still be available for enquiries - it might though take me a bit longer to reply. Thank you in advance for your patience.
Hoping you're all having a relaxing summer.
A weaving and cooking retreat with Maria Sigma and Allegra Pomilio on the island of Andros in Greece.
Join us to learn the art of both frame and band weaving, and explore beautiful, unspoiled spaces around Andros with panoramic views of the Aegean sea. We will soak up the final rays of Andros sun while Allegra prepares a menu with the island’s finest organic produce and gather around the table for handweaving classes and sharing delicious meals.
Andros is where I spent all my childhood summers and where my heart belongs. It is my 'hole & corner' and where I would like to set up my dream weaving studio one day.
All that years it has been a continuous source of inspiration for me - the Aegean blue of the sea, the Cycladic landscape, the silver rocks, the golden sand, the white pebbles, the smell of lemon and jasmine, the architecture of the town, the sound of the running water in the creeks, and of course the sound of the wind and of the waves!
Therefore, I invite you to explore with me the best Andros has to offer and combine them with weaving and cooking classes at the unique house of Melisses.
I have teamed up with Allegra Pomilio - Mèlisses’ founder and art director, nominated to be one of the 50 most influential women in food by Corriere della Sera, in order to offer you a magical and hands-on stay in our most favourite place in the world!
Autumn is a very magical time on Andros. It is a time of the year when summer feels slowly fades away, the island becomes calmer and quieter, yet temperates tend to remain pleasant for hikes or even afternoon dips.
Evenings turn into cosy gatherings in the kitchen, talking, laughing, sharing experiences and stories, and cooking together while snacking on freshly roasted chestnuts from our fireplace. It is a wonderful ritual!
Together we will explore the beauties of Andros, weave, cook, laugh, and relax while enjoying the best of autumnal weather on Andros. Hopefully, we will swim too!
Limited availability. Please note, it’s a first-come, first-serve event.
I am delighted to invite you to this year's London Craft Week at COS for a live 'weaving from waste' experience.
I will be at the COS Coal Drop Yard store along with my loom for a live weaving demonstration and with a selection of new samples and pieces.
Come to watch me weave with COS remnants, chat about weaving with waste, and explore all the stages that are required from yarn to cloth, to the finished piece. You will also have the opportunity to have a go on the loom!
EVENT DETAILS
Weaving Demonstration / Drop-in Weaving Workshop / Exhibition
9 May 2022 - 13 May 2022, 14:00 - 17:00
14 May 2022 - 15 May 2022, 11:00 - 17:00
VENUE INFORMATION
COS Store at Coal Drops Yard, Stable Street
N1C 4AB
On the loom: On the Sea Throw
Three new pieces of the ‘Persephone’s Dream’ Collection, are now available (in-shop and online) at Flow Gallery.
'Persephone's Dream' Collection draws inspiration from the poem 'Persephone's Nightmare'* and is my comment on today's environmental crisis caused by mass production and fast fashion. By only using natural undyed and fashion waste yarns, I aspire to reconnect with nature and its raw materials and create contemporary work while reinterpreting traditional weaving techniques while embracing a slow-making zero-waste philosophy and practice.
Sea of Dreams Throw; handwoven; natural undyed British wool, natural linen, recycled cotton; approx. 190 x 140 cm
*'Persephone's Nightmare' is a poem-song included in Manos Hadjidakis’ album “Ta Paraloga” (“The irrationals”) , 1976 - Lyrics: Nikos Gatsos, Composer: Manos Hadjidakis, Performer: Maria Farandouri. It sets modern Greek environmental issues against Greek mythology: Eleusis is the setting for the most important ancient shrine of Demeter and Persephone, goddesses associated with Earth’s fertility, and a modern industrial wasteland. It’s a lament about how Eleusina was ended up. A sacred place in ancient Greece, and famous all over the ancient world for the Eleusinian mysteries and the cult of Demeter and Persephone, a beautiful natural landscape was lost forever in order to become the most polluted and industrialized place in Greece. The poem focuses mainly on the aesthetic pollution and abuse of the once sacred, respectful and untouchable place. It makes many hints too, either direct or indirect, about the downgrading of life quality and public health.
Empty Sea Throw; handwoven; natural undyed British wool, waste dyed wool/cashmere/linen; approx. 165 x 135 cm
The new pieces are inspired by the colours of the Cycladic landscape and its wind-sculptured beaches. Every piece’s name is named after a song and the whole collection works as a hidden playlist.
On the Sea Throw; handwoven; natural undyed British wool, natural undyed British alpaca, recycled cotton, waste dyed wool/cashmere/linen; approx. 165 x 140 cm
Maria and I meet to discuss her latest project, a collaboration with TOAST for the Autumn-Winter collection, on Zoom. (The large loom in the background and chunky reels of yellow and red yarn in front of her – beautifully functional, romantically utilitarian – go some way to offset the dullness of the virtual space). Together with leatherworker Candice Lau, who also joins us, Maria has created a tufted bag and pouch for the collection. “I had worked with TOAST before, holding workshops on how to weave using waste yarn,” she says. This project takes that premise a step further, putting to work leftover yarn – from her own rug remnants to cotton, wool and cashmere remaining from TOAST knitwear production – to make the whole collection as economical and low-waste as possible.
Maria’s practice is evolving, too. Tufting, for example, is a relatively new technique for her, and one she decided to use to help use up her waste yarns. When TOAST approached her to make a bag like this, it offered a golden opportunity to experiment with her tufting gun, which she holds up, explaining how it connects to an air compressor, shooting through the fabric to pull yarn outwards and create piling.
“In the beginning, we talked about the bag having a pile or fringing, but ended up with these looped tufts,” she says, holding up a sample. It is gorgeously ’70s– voluptuous loops of yarn, black, white and orange colour blocks, slightly curved, are arranged in what might be the shape of a landscape.
Do I see, in those curves, a hint of Andros? Possibly yes, but Maria is never literal. “All the connections are very abstract in my work,” she says. “Memories, images and emotions are woven together, also the light when I’m working, my mood at the time, and the materials and their interactions. It’s never just one thing – but Andros is always there, continuously inspiring my weaving in weird ways.”
Interview by Mina Holland. Photographs by Suzie Howell.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE
Join award-winning weaver Maria Sigma, who follows a zero-waste philosophy, as she demonstrates a needle tufting technique to create abstract landscapes using remnant yarns from the TOAST production process.
This season TOAST has collaborated with Maria on a hand-tufted fabric made using waste yarns, which has been incorporated into a bag by leatherworker Candice Lau. During this workshop, through Maria’s step-by-step guidance, you will learn the basics of needle tufting and how to up-cycle your old knitwear to create unique textile artworks for hanging on the wall or turning into a small accessory.
The annual TOAST Creative Residency brings together our community of creative individuals. This year, we are hosting our first blended Creative Residency, with a three-day programme of engaging talks, workshops and live demonstrations hosted both online and in-person at the Crafts Council Gallery, Islington.
The programme, inspired by our seasonal campaign titled Rewilding, is open to all and aims to connect individuals and foster thought. Prices for individual events vary and limited spaces are available for in-person attendance. Drop-in event highlights include a wild floral installation by renowned floral artist, Frida Kim, a curated edit of pieces from the Crafts Council Collection and TOAST New Makers and watching our artist in residence, Liaqat Rasul, at work.
20% of all ticket sales will be donated by TOAST to Crafts Council UK to support their Young Craft Citizens Programme - offering workshops, paid opportunities and creative and professional advice for young people from all backgrounds interested in shaping the future of craft, design and making in the UK.
I am delighted to be part of this year's London Design Festival through my new partnership with Teer & Co at Planted, the world’s first zero-waste design show aimed at reconnecting people and spaces with nature.
Based on the principles of biophilic design and in direct response to the global climate emergency, Planted will explore how design, sustainability, food production, architecture, and nature can combine to create cleaner, greener, healthier spaces.
Planted was founded in 2019 by the former owner of designjunction Deborah Spencer, former Sunday Times journalist Sam Peters, River Cottage chief exec Stewart Dodd and commercial design agent, Alice Breed.
With an overdue but growing movement toward sustainable manufacturing processes in the face of man-made climate change, Planted is delighted to be showcasing beautiful design-led brands playing their part in reducing waste, respecting the environment, and reconnecting with nature.
Visit the show to see a selection of pieces of my newest collection Persephone's Dream - inspired by a Greek poem of N. Gatsos and composed by M. Hatzidakis, the new pieces are inspired by the colours of the Cycladic landscape and rocky wild beaches. Every piece’s name is a name of a song, and the whole collection works as a hidden playlist.
STAND LC2 Natural Living
Lewis Cubbit Square
Coal Drop Yard
King's Cross
London N1C 4AA
Register for your free Trade or Consumer visitor ticket.
Window Display at Selfridges, July 2021
On the loom, mercerised cotton and waste T-shirt yarn
T-shirt yarn made with fashion waste
Handwoven panels, mercerised cotton and waste T-shirt yarn.
Quote from Selfridges’ Press Release
“My approach to weaving is based on the idea of creating beautiful sustainable textiles through 'zero waste' design and craftsmanship. High-quality and sustainable natural fibres are key to the philosophy of my work, in which the aspiration for textile longevity through simplicity and sensibility is essential.
For this project, and in line with Selfridges’ vision for sustainable fashion, I made three textile panels using T-shirt yarns made by waste of the fashion industry which have been turned into tabletops.
I am thrilled to be contributing to Selfridges' sustainability commitments for the future and be part of their conscious impact-making for retail.”Maria Sigma, Weaver
Window Display at Selfridges, July 2021
![Window Display at Selfridges [detail], July 2021](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/568a8db5d8af102bf3edc841/1630927665858-277TJH69O7JJG3CH15IO/Maria+Sigma+%7C+Selfridges)
Window Display at Selfridges [detail], July 2021
Maria Sigma: Ariadne Cushion Collection, London 2021
New collection of cushions especially made for The New Craftsmen.
Minimalist and focusing on texture, Maria's collection of cushions are made from a luxury wool blend of cashmere, British alpaca and lambswool. The collection is a departure from Maria's usual monochrome palette and is available in shades of sandstone and mustard, made exclusively for The New Craftsmen.
Growing up in Greece, Maria was surrounded by hand-made textiles and learned the detailed process of lacemaking as a child. Handwoven on a floor loom in Maria’s London studio, these cushions are a testament to her aesthetic heritage and capture a certain feeling of home.
To learn more about the collection and read a Q&A about Maria Sigma click here.
Maria Sigma: Ariadne Cushion Collection, London 2021; Hand-woven, natural British lambswool & alpaca, cashmere, cotton.
![Maria Sigma: ECHIDNA [detail], London 2020; Hand-woven, natural undyed British wool & waste silk sari](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/568a8db5d8af102bf3edc841/1614287228856-C38NNXI0L2X2XMFVT130/Echidna+Wall+Hnaging.jpg)
Maria Sigma: ECHIDNA [detail], London 2020; Hand-woven, natural undyed British wool & waste silk sari
This year Collect, the 17th edition of the Crafts Council's International Art Fair, is an online-only event.
I am pleased to be showing three new artworks alongside a group of select artists and makers, by invitation of Design-Nation within their virtual booth via artsy.net
The fair will be open to the public with works available for sale from Friday 26th February until Wednesday 24th March.
Maria Sigma: HYDRA, London 2020; Hand-woven, natural undyed British wool; 200 x 140 cm
Maria Sigma: CHIMERA, 2020
Hand-woven, natural undyed British wool & waste silk sari
58 x 145 cm
Maria Sigma: ECHIDNA, London 2020; Hand-woven, natural undyed British wool & waste silk sari; 145 x 200 cm
For any purchase enquires please contact: welcome@designnation.co.uk
During COLLECT 2021, Design-Nation is hosting a series of virtual discussions with exceptional UK-based contemporary designers, artists, and makers.
I would like to invite you to one of the Design-Nation virtual discussions in which I participate, talking about Slow Making : passion, thought, mindfulness, and ethics - a cross-disciplinary discussion with Angela Fung, Emily Jo Gibbs, Kim Sutherland, Margo Selby & Maria Sigma. Hosted by Liz Cooper.
The talk will be live on Sunday 28th of February at 12.00
Maria Sigma at her studio in London
Photo by Rocio Chacon
![Maria Sigma: ECHIDNA [detail], London 2020; Hand-woven, natural undyed British wool & waste silk sari](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/568a8db5d8af102bf3edc841/1614287691882-ZEOGOQ5ATILKP7YM2365/Maria+Sigma+%7C+Chimera+Wall+Hanging.jpeg)
Maria Sigma: ECHIDNA [detail], London 2020; Hand-woven, natural undyed British wool & waste silk sari
PRESS ENQUIRIES: please see Press Release or contact Maria, maria@mariasigma.com
