Femke van Gemerttextile works

Femke van Gemertloves textile

love textile

Textile is our second skin, the only material we allow to touch us.

Textile/fashion industry is very labor-intensive and has a heavy impact on natural resources like water and land, and the environment in general.Textiles are produced in often hard labor conditions and is very polluting in the process of bleaching, washing, dyeing and transportation all over the globeTextile consumption is growing worldwide and the circulation of fashion and textiles is getting faster and faster.Therefore textile waste is increasing.

I think we should reconsider textile waste.

love textileTextile is a lot more than just one garment or one pillow case. Because of the labor intensity and the ecological footprint of textile materials Femke wants to revaluate en re-use fabrics.

love imperfectionAll Femke’s works show the beauty of imperfection and deterioration over time.Decaying is a natural process and part of life. The ageing and wear of textiles gives a surprising beauty to the material. Therefore Femke uses fabrics in all the states of being, new and old.

textile works

Femke van Gemert creates hangings, tapestries, objects and installations made of 100 % recycled textiles. Waste, leftovers, worn and torn pieces, curtain samples, all kinds of textiles that are left over after the intensive consumptionpattern in the contemporary world. These discarded materials offer Femke the possibility to show her opinions about the world and personal experiences in abstract works.

The textiles used by Femke come from various sources:

Fashion designers cutoffs interior decorators curtainsamples and upholstery consumers fashion and bedlinen

museums/collectors antiques artists/designers all

sorts of textiles textilelovers/crafts people collections of small pieces

textile works

The discarded textiles are selected by color and collected in boxes by Femke

Parts of the collected fabrics selected by color in Femke’s atelier

textile works

Depending on the amount of fabrics a work in a certain color can be created. No dyeing or bleaching is done.

Landscape, 2009

textile worksA selection in green toned textiles for a big tapestry. A great variation in structure and surfaces creates a surprising tangibility.

A certain inspiration or longing decides the color range.

jungletocht in Thailand en Mexico

Femke works on self made looms in several, developed techniques

Deep Dense

A work on commission for a private residence.

Soft & Sweet

In commissioned works textiles of the client can be used

Rough sketch as the basic idea

Color is choosen with the customer

Bij opdrachten kunnen textielstukken van de klant zelf worden gebruikt

Stromingen

The result on the wall in the customers house.

A gift from the Amsterdam museum: antique pieces of lace

Washing, drying, ironing.

In various techniques and partly dip dyed.

Dreaming installation

Dreaming in Istanbul Dreaming in Beijing

Dreaming in São Paulo

A piece of a used fishnet was given to me

The fisnet is braided and knotted with strips of fabric.

Labor intensive handwork

Landscape 1

Landscape II

Inspiration

Partly dyed to keep the original color visible

Floweristic

Site specific design: for a certain room Femke can create a made to

measure piece.

Some examples of site specific designs on commission

Femke van Gemert

www.femkevangemert.nlFacebook: Femke van Gemert wallhangings wandkleden

Femke lives and works in Amsterdam and has various works in stock.

Erupted