Elo de la Ruë du Can

Textile painter

©Franck Juery

©Gregoire Voevodsky

Silks with a punch of colour

Elo creates paintings on silk using a traditional Japanese textile dyeing technique
Her love for textiles was influenced by her family's artistic history
She chooses her colours based on the emotions evoked from the subject

Elo de la Ruë du Can hand paints silk wearable art, luminous panels and textile installations. She studied at École des Arts Décoratifs de Paris in France and is now based in Rome. Inspired by yuzen, a traditional Japanese technique for painting on silk, Elo combines dyes and paint into vivid, evocative images that draw attention and spark the imagination. "My work with silk is guided by emotion, especially in the colours and shades I choose to use," she says. Elo's work with silk creates a dialogue between materials and colours. Through years of experimentation, she has developed her own artistic approach to silk painting, making the fabric as versatile as paper.

Interview

©Franck Juery

©Johan LeK

What drew you to start working with textiles?: Textiles have always been part of my family’s story. My mother is an Aubusson tapestry artist, and my grandmother collected rare textiles. I studied industrial design, but was drawn to the unique, handmade approach of my craft, which is much closer to my passion for colour and painting.
What role does emotion play in your work?: Emotions guided me in choosing the exceptional material that is silk, with its unique qualities, reflections, lightness, warmth and durability. Emotions also inspire the colours I work with. I work purely from the feelings evoked by the colours and subject with the aim of conveying intensity.
How do you choose colours for each piece?: The colours I choose are based on my observation. Nature is sometimes more imaginative than we are regarding contrast and boldness. I work like painters with their easels. I observe the nuances that unfold before my eyes. To preserve the effect of colours, I limit my choices to a maximum of three or four shades per creation.
Do you have a dream project you hope to create?: I would love to create hand-painted silk panels designed to be part of architectural spaces as floating ceilings, wall art or soft partitions. That is a way to bring colour, light and movement into interiors while celebrating traditional craftsmanship.

Elo de la Ruë du Can is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2012 and she started teaching in 2019