Archipelago by Kustaa Saksi is a large-scale bespoke woven installation, commissioned by the Finnish government. This work is being presented in the The Forum Hall, Europa Building, during Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in Brussels and was produced in the Textiellab: the professional workplace for experimentation and innovation in the TextielMuseum in Tilburg, The Netherlands.
In his medium of tapestry, the artist creates an abstract depiction of the Finnish archipelago - a labyrinth of wild, forested islands with shallow waters home to flora and fauna characteristic to the region, on the coast of Finland. Illustrated in hues of blue, green, orange are geometric details found in leaves, bark and flowers, interspersed in shapes of flowing water.
Extending over 26 x 2 meters, this work required 6 months to complete, from early drawings to material weaving. Working closely with textile developers and yarn specialists from the TextielMuseum, Saaksi experiments with innovative material combinations to achieve a three-dimensional, relief-like result on the surface of the tapestry. Made with sustainable materials, the artwork is woven with Trevira CS yarns mixed with recycled PET polyester from plastic bottles.
Images Courtesy of Atelier YenAn.
