Anita Sarkezi
Anita’s use of a digital jacquard loom creates imagined space with personal motifs, and dynamic, gradual applications of color. By combining invented motifs with color studies, she visually portrays the back and forth of movement and migration, expressing her own story as a migrant.
Anita states the movement of the weft threads signifies an ongoing journey, while the interlocked woven stitches convey a sense of belonging and attachment to a specific place.
Anita Sarkezi
Textile Designer BA (Hons) Textile Design
Glasgow School of Art.
Statement
| My research and artistic practice revolve around the idea that visual culture and traditional folklore are often influenced by political forces rather than being inherent constructs. While motifs, colors, and meanings themselves may not be political, it’s important to recognize their susceptibility to political manipulation. These concepts are fundamental to my work in textile design. Additionally, I aim to challenge outdated notions of the ‘purity’ of culture and tradition through my design endeavors. I make use of a digital jacquard loom to create an imagined space with personal motifs, and dynamic, gradual applications of color. By combining invented motifs with color studies, I visually portray the back and forth of movement and migration, expressing my own story as a migrant. As a digital designer and weaver, I utilize the TC2 digital loom to bring this imagined space to fruition. I produce non-traditional ornaments and other woven visuals to establish a personal visual repository and reinterpret historical images. Through weave structures, I incorporate vivid and gradual color applications, which I perceive as a visual portrayal of the ebb and flow of movement and migration, and an expression of my story as a migrant. The movement of the weft threads signifies an ongoing journey, while the interlocked woven stitches convey a sense of belonging and attachment to a specific place. |
Materials and Techniques
| – Deadstock yarns (mostly silk and cashmere discarded by the UK textiles industries). – Pointcarre weave software – Digital drawings – Digital TC2 jacquard loom (operated manually). |
Awards
| 2023 Newbery Medal, Glasgow School of Art – Highest accolade for graduating student – undergraduate. Designers Guild Special Award, The Designers Guild Plaque, presented to a University or an Individual for outstanding work. Special Design Award: Travel Award issued by The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust. 1st Prize The Clothworkers’ Company Award for a woven fabric design for interior furnishings or products. 1st Prize British Wool & The Alternative Flooring Company Award. 2nd Prize The Clothworkers’ Company Award for a woven fabric design for fashion/ accessories. Incorporation of Bonnetmakers and Dyers Award (awarded to top Fashion or Textile Design student at the GSA). Woven Textile Design Award (Issued by The Weavers’ Company at ND). New Maker Award Prizewinner (Issued by Fife Contemporary). Weaver’s Award for Best Use of Wool for Fashion or Interiors (Issued by The Incorporation of Weavers of Glasgow). W Hotel Edinburgh: Design a Room Competition co-winner, (Issued by W Hotel). EXHIBITIONS 2024 FRAMEWORK,Dundee Design Week, Dundee, UK (group). ALLOY, London Design Festival, Alsolike Gallery, UK (upcoming – group). WOVEN, Fox Yard, Suffolk, UK (upcoming – group). 2oth International Triennial of Graphic Art Frechen, Frechen, Germany (group exhibition). HYBRID,The Haberdashery, Glasgow, UK (group exhibition). 2023 The Bradford Textile Society Finalist Exhibition, The Dye House Gallery, School Of Art, Bradford (group exhibition). Enliven: Connecting With Archives, The Alchemy Experiment, Glasgow, UK (group exhibition). POST, Reid Gallery, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, UK (group exhibition). NEW DESIGNERS, Islington Business Design Centre, London, UK. COLLECTIONS Glasgow School of Art Archives EXPERIENCE 2023 – 2025 Artist in Residence, Glasgow School of Art 2024 Designer, Alex Begg, Ayr |