Dense embroideries map the celestial expanses and abstract landscapes of Lindzeanne — Colossal



Artistic craftsmanship

#embroidery #Lindzeanne #thread

« I’m motivated to make my job a way of mapping myself and mapping my space, » says Lindsey Gradolph, who works as Lindzeanne. An ex-pat of nearly 20 years who currently lives in Tokyo, the artist finds solace in her practice of freehand embroidery which produces dense and expressive planes of texture and color. “Sometimes there can be a strange feeling of being completely untethered, so I’m creating my own topography that’s familiar to me,” he tells Colossal. “I like to think of each of my pieces as its own little universe, whether internal or external. An unknown place but perhaps closer than we think.

Lindzeanne started sewing to upcycle clothes, a hands-on hobby that quickly became more of a drawing practice. Embroidery thread is not common in Japan, so the artist chose basic, traditional hand sewing instead sashiko threads that it stitches into a second fabric – to which it refers mottainai, the Japanese term that translates to « waste nothing. » “Both of these types of thread aren’t particularly useful for creating illustrations or figurative images, so this led me to experiment with different ways of filling a space or creating a design,” she says.

The resulting works are full of models. Circular shapes reinforce stitches of various sizes, and strips bisect the planes of simple backstitch. Many of the motifs evoke the celestial and the organic, be they galactic shapes, the flow of bodies of water or small bubbles moving upwards, the latter tending to render in white. « For me, colors have personality and shapes have weight and character, so when I think of a piece in my mind, or sit down to cut fabric, I’m always envisioning the push and pull, or gravitas that certain shapes and colors have with each other, » she says.

As for how long each piece takes, « it takes as long as it takes, » she replies, emphasizing that she’s not interested in quantifying sewing hours. « I don’t think about the moment I’m working, » she says. « I like the tactile nature of fabrics and the repetitive nature speaks to me. »

The artist has some works available on his siteand you can keep up with her practice, which includes a new tarot-inspired series, at Instagram.

#embroidery #Lindzeanne #thread

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