“Layers of Light” textiles collection exhibited as an art installation / light sculpture as part of the Kaunas Fortress Association festival, curated by Evelina Simkute, from Šilainiai Project at the abandoned VIII Fort in Kaunas, Lithuania, October 15th, 2016.
“Layers of Light” is a final year project of my Textiles BA at The University of Edinburgh, it was created as an interior textiles collection for public spaces, where the pieces could play a role of leading the way with patterns and their reflections through the use of light. While exploring a variety of materials (translucent plastics, metal, wood and fabrics) I was playing with an idea of contrasts, lights and shadows, reflections and layering of patterns.
This collection touches on the subjects of memory and history, appearing as fragments of folk symbols and patterns, geometric shapes form clear shapes and then blend into faded tones, forgotten moments of time.
For this project I was researching folk ornamentation in various parts of the world, mostly in textiles and architectural elements. I had an opportunity to visit the textiles archives in the National Gallery of Scotland, where I was introduced to folk European clothing. What I found in my research is that patterns around the world look very much alike, through the universal formations of our cultures, exploring nature and trying to understand how the world around functions. Symbols of the Earth, the stars, various plants and animals, reappear in various cultures, presented in natural colours available to that particular region. These patterns imprint information about our ancestors and their relationship with nature, believes and knowledge about the universe. But they are only small fragments, from which we can build stories around from our point of view, with our current background and understanding.
