"These works ended up stored in drawers": an exhibition brings back the garments of 13 textile artists.

Cornellà"We all met while weaving," says Magda, one of the thirteen artists from the Tramadoras collective who are part of the exhibition. Between threads, inhabiting the fabricThey met at the Teranyina Textile School Workshop, and their works are on display at Cornellà Castle until April 27. "We are among the threads; when we weave, we live," she explains. Esther Vigara, curator of the exhibition, says that weaving is often associated with a hobby, an activity for entertainment, but never as an art form. "Many people view textiles as a craft or a home-made project, not as an artistic expression of creative fulfillment," she states.

At first, the artists had no interest in exhibiting their works. They were primarily motivated by personal pleasure and the need to find an inner way of expressing themselves. "We made our pieces for ourselves, without the pressure of exhibiting them. But we realized that many of these works ended up stored in drawers, and that what we were doing touched us deeply," Esther explains. "Weaving makes you reflect on the value of time. Each pass, each thread, requires a dedication that is almost a meditation, an introspection." Magda, looking at the imposing hall of the Cornellà castle, adds: "We are weaving something visible, which is represented in these works, but we are also weaving something invisible within us. When we weave, we not only create a physical piece, but also a personal story, an emotion that accompanies us."

The exhibition is divided into three large sections that profoundly question the relationship between fabric and its own existence. The section titles are: The mystery of existence, Knitting and Textile ode to natureEach one offers a reflection on life, pain, the passage of time, and our connection with nature.

Three thematic blogs

In the first blog, The mystery of existence, you can find works such as Sandy fabric, a creation that evokes the memory of a trip to Cádiz. Using textile techniques, the garment attempts to capture the image of how the wind shapes the sand, creating waves that seem ephemeral yet infinite. This work was developed over months, with the artist meticulously observing the textures that nature spontaneously draws on the landscape, as if thread were a way of imitating the movement of the wind, time, and memory. Through weaving, the designer transforms observation into a visual representation of the impossible: the capture of time in its continuous and uninterrupted passage.

Knitting, the second room, is more intimate and intimate. This section is introduced with an opening text: "In the intimacy of this room, a silence stirs. Do you feel us? A knot has been broken or is about to be. A goodbye, a mourning, a wound. It's time to reweave." It is a profound space, charged with emotions that, in some way, touch the visitor on a more personal level. "Here we reflect on the inner wound, the goodbyes, the losses, and what hurts," explains Vigara. Torn tapestries, souls like abandoned gardens, and unraveling knots are some of the representations on display. The work Lacrimosa, for example, is a piece dedicated to Pilar's mother, who died of Covid and did not have the opportunity to say goodbye in the way she would have liked. "Pilar wove the score of the Lacrimosa for two years, as a way of expressing the farewell she couldn't say in life," Esther explains. "The day she finished the piece, we organized an event at the school where a pianist played the song. Pilar cried with emotion and relief, feeling that, finally, her mother was resting in peace."

The act of weaving not only becomes an artistic process but also a mechanism for personal and collective healing. Many of the artists exhibit pieces that have been a vehicle for channeling deep emotions, whether through threads that crisscross and intertwine or through structures that, like life, are built and rebuilt. Each weave is a trace, a memory, a link that remains with the past and projects into the future. The creative process, which develops through the act of weaving, thus becomes a way of healing and connecting with oneself, with others, and with the world around us.

Textile ode to nature It is the third block of the exhibition and explores legacy, nature, memories, and land. In this section, you can see works such as Harvest IV, a garment by Colombian Claudia Falquez, who uses textiles to recall the corn of her native country. The piece also stands out Presence, where artist Isabel Rios uses her mother's reused scarves to create a work that serves as a keepsake. "When I wove, I remembered her; each knot was like a conversation, as if I could talk to her again," explains Esther. Through these works, the artists connect with their roots and the transformative power of nature. The textures, colors, and motifs that emerge from the threads speak to a relationship with the earth as old as humanity itself.

This final section of the exhibition offers a dialogue between women and nature, a reminder that, despite industrialization and modernity, the ties to our origins remain. Textiles, as an artistic language, allow us to express this connection and the need to preserve memory through the hands that weave stories and memories. In fact, many of the threads used in the works in the exhibition have been selected for their symbolism or origin. Through these materials, the artists convey a clear message: nature, memories, and human relationships are the true sources of inspiration.

Claiming craftsmanship

With a combination of traditional and innovative techniques, the artists in the exhibition manage to breathe new life into textiles, breaking with the stereotypes that often relegate them to a mere domestic activity. Each of their works is a declaration of principles: weaving can be art, it can be voice, it can be emotions encapsulated in threads that break and transform into visual messages. These pieces not only speak to the past but also cry out in the present, a way of asserting the importance of slowness, of dedicated time, of the artist's hand.

This exhibition, in addition to being a reflection on textiles as an artistic tool, also opens a dialogue on the importance of ancestral traditions and knowledge in our modern society. At a time when manual and artisanal techniques often go unnoticed in the face of digital technologies, weaving as an art form presents itself as a resistance to the speed and superficiality of the contemporary era. Each weave reflects not only a technique, but a worldview, an enduring memory, a way of connecting with our roots and with the generations that have come before us. It is a way of returning to nature, to the essence of who we are. Through the act of weaving, in which time seems to slow down and the worries of everyday life fade into the background, these thirteen artists pay tribute to those hands that, with patience and dedication, transform simple threads into stories full of meaning. To weave is to inhabit: life, pain, nature, and love.