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www.thevillagenews.co.za
4 November 2020
Fibre art exhibition opens at FynArts Gallery T
he Art of Thread exhibition is an annual highlight of the Hermanus FynArts Festival, which was scheduled to have taken place in June this year – that is, until Covid-19 struck. While some of the planned events could be presented in a virtual format, others had to be postponed until a later date. One of them was this year’s Art of Thread exhibition, titled ‘Design Matters’ which opened at the FynArts Gallery on Saturday. This inspiring exhibition was curated by Dal Botha, with 20 artists invited to participate. Influenced by postmodernism, fibre art has become increasingly conceptual since the 1980s, extending beyond ordinary embroidery or quilt-making. In addition to experimenting with materials and techniques, fibre artists address cultural, social and political issues in their work. Prioritising aesthetic value and design above utility, they convey emotion and meaning through the use of textiles only,
or combined with mixed media. In her opening address, Karen McKerron said the ‘Design Matters’ exhibition was a hymn to the universe; a hymn to being alive. “These works are about standing firm and moving upwards, like church spires,” she said, while commenting on how deeply each artist went into themselves to release this energy and bring us their vision of what is happening to us during this pandemic. Dal Botha in turn thanked Festival Director Mary Faure for keeping FynArts alive, and each artist for their valuable contribution. Many of the participating artists were present at the opening, with some having travelled from as far afield as Cape Town and George. The exhibition will run until 28 November. The FynArts Gallery can be found in The Courtyard at 2 Harbour Road (right behind The Wine Glass).
PHOTOS: Hedda Mittner
LEFT: FynArts Administrator Chantel Louskitt, Karen McKerron, who opened the exhibition, curator Dal Botha and FynArts Festival Director Mary Faure. BELOW: Among the participating artists who attended the opening of ‘Design Matters’ at the FynArts Gallery on Saturday were (from left) Dal Botha (curator), Glenda Weidemann, Lubi Koorts, Diana Vandyar, Willemien de Villiers, Monique Day-Wilde, Anett Edwards, Kim Tedder, Shirley Sissan and Wilma Smit. In front are Minda du Plessis, Lesley Jurgens and Sheila Walwyn.
