Gabriela Pustková

Tapestry maker

©Jaroslav Bouma

Drawing with yarn

Gabriela made her own frame loom at home
She takes part in contests and fairs
She takes commissions from all over the world

As a girl, Gabriela Pustková loved to draw. She used to spend the whole summer holiday attending classes on figure drawing. Her hobby stuck, although she opted to study textile design when she went to university. When the time came to produce her degree work, she decided to unite the techniques she had mastered with her agelong passion. And she found her own, very personal, form of expression. "I draw with yarn. The tangibility of tapestry enables me to materialise my drawings. The sheep wool, with all its imperfections, enlivens the 2D sketch. You can almost sense the hard and thorough handiwork behind every piece." To make a single tapestry usually takes Gabriela around half a year. Yet the result is a soothing piece of art.

Interview

©Jaroslav Bouma

©Jaroslav Bouma

How do you choose the design of a tapestry?: I mostly depict women. I understand them the most. In our classes on figural studies, we usually have a female model. So sometimes I choose the picture of one of them – if she agrees. Or I look for a charismatic woman radiating a powerful life experience.
What was the first tapestry you made?: It is the largest piece I have ever created: two meters high and more than two and a half metres wide. I still have it. It depicts the open wardrobe of my great-grandparents. It's one of a few tapestries without any women on it.
Do you employ any new technologies?: I use very classic methods of weaving, it's physically demanding – as it always has been. I spend hours "crawling" on the tapestry or just unspooling and dying the yarn. I use these traditional methods to create more modern pieces. I never work on multiple tapestries at one time, I like to live out every piece wholly.
Are tapestries underrated in today’s world?: I hope not. Hand woven tapestries have had a vital role in decorative arts since antiquity and they can be very modern. I believe they're not outdated: any interior becomes more elegant with a tapestry. It's a representative and long-lasting piece.

Gabriela Pustková is an expert artisan she began her career in 2008