Elena Mulas

Artessile

Weaver

©Vittorio Crobu

©abio Moro

©Massimo Loi

©Artessile di Elena Mulas

©Massimo Loi

Weaving magical narratives on the loom

Elena creates textiles that express Sardinia’s cultural heritage
She uses techniques and designs handed down through the generations
Curiosity and resourcefulness fuel her innovative spirit

Elena Mulas is the proud owner of the only weaving atelier in Urzulei, a charming village nestled in the heart of Sardinia. “I was eight years old when my beloved grandmother taught me to weave on her small, old-fashioned loom made of juniper wood. I distinctly remember how excited I was when the comb started beating rhythmically on the weft as I operated the loom. Until that moment, I had only heard my grandmother play what to my ears was a celestial music.” Over the decades, Elena’s workshop has become an important point of reference in the production of handcrafted Sardinian textiles. Elena has introduced her own innovations in this millenary craft, such as asphodel fibres in the weft, the stems of which are typically used by local basket weavers.

Interview

©Artessile di Elena Mulas

How is your weaving process carried out?: It begins with the selection of vegetable-dyed, organic raw materials such as cotton, linen and Sardinian wool. My 20th-century semi-mechanical shuttle looms allow me to combine manual techniques with the rapid execution of the background canvas.
Which traditional techniques do you use?: I specialise in a pibiones, in which the relief grain pattern is created by twisting the weft yarn around a needle. My other techniques are called a littos and that is about weaving on a multi-heald frames loom; and sa frassada, a flat weave texture with parallel stripes in contrasting colours.
Where do you get your inspiration?: From Nuragic figures and designs, from folktales that are passed down orally, from the wild nature that surrounds me, from my emotions and memories.
Do you enjoy taking on new challenges?: It is the best part of my work! In 2023, in collaboration with designer Gianni Cinti I created a pair of contemporary tapestries that were presented at Milan’s Salone del Mobile within the Doppia Firma project.

Elena Mulas is a master artisan: she began her career in 1979 and she started teaching in 1990