Eva Bellanger

Weaver

©Amaryllis Bouvier

©Eva Bellanger

©Minuit Photography

Weaving poetry through warp and weft

Eva creates bespoke textiles for interiors
She often incorporates embroidery into her weaving
She is dedicated to passing on her craft

Eva Bellanger is a master weaver, who discovered the manual loom during her studies in textile design. “It was unexpected, but I thought it was great! I wanted to take it further, even though it looked complicated and time-consuming,” she explains with great enthusiasm. From then on, Eva trained with the aim of opening her own workshop. Until she devoted herself exclusively to weaving, she divided her time between working as an embroiderer and as a textile designer. Today, her studio specialises in weaving, offering unique textiles made of natural materials that are subtle in their textures and patterns. “My work is a blend of poetry and technical mastery,” says Eva. Although she has worked in the fashion industry, her clients are mainly architects and interior designers.

Interview

©Minuit Photography

©Eva Bellanger

How did it go when you first opened your workshop?: When I started out, I was still doing embroidery and textile design, so I immediately got commissions with that. Then I was lucky to be contacted by an American architectural firm that had discovered my work. Despite my young age and the fact that I was just starting out, they rapidly trusted me. I was fortunate to find clients who gave me a chance and wanted to collaborate.
What is your creative process?: I start with sketches. In weaving, there is a lot of preparation work such as selecting threads, colours, materials, and so on. I really discovered this with practice and experience, and I have learnt to truly love doing all these preparatory steps. At the beginning of my journey, I found it very complex, and yet this is where the quality of the fabric is rooted.
Do you have favourite materials to work with?: I work mainly with linen. I was born in Normandy, surrounded by fields of flax. I never thought I would do something with it one day, but maybe it influenced me unconsciously! I use this yarn everywhere, in all my creations. It is the only constant. Aside from linen, I like working with natural materials, like raffia, brass and copper, cotton cord.
How would you simply define your work?: I bring new, poetic surfaces to life, and create bespoke textiles. The aim for me was above all to focus on technical mastery. At school, I was encouraged to define an artistic universe; so when I found myself doing solely weaving, I had to go back to basics, to pure technique. It was very important for me to acquire this assured gesture, to gain real expertise, particularly in the preparation phases of weaving.

Eva Bellanger is a rising star: she began her career in 2016 and she started teaching in 2017