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Florence, Italy

Bianca Hodselle

Embroiderer

Painting dreams with coloured threads

  • Bianca’s embroidery is three-dimensional and tactile
  • Painting techniques mingle with traditional needlework in her creations
  • She upcycles by giving new life to vintage clothes

Bianca Hodselle's painted embroideries stand out for the techniques employed and the subjects of her creations. Rooted in tradition, her embroidered paintings are charged with oneiric symbolism. “I was born in Naples,” she explains, “and my city, with its colours, scents and legends, has always been a major source of inspiration.” Creative since childhood and determined to devote her life to art, Bianca studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts until one day she stumbled on her old embroidery box, with the cotton skeins and sewing tools she used as a teenager. “It was a revelation! I started embroidering again, this time infusing the technique with the creativity I had acquired over the years. As if by magic, my contemporary creations began to emerge, and I have not stopped since.”


Interview

©Killblue Nya (Laura Viaggi)
©Valeria Bleik Sironi
What brought you to settle down in Florence?
At first, it was to attend a Master’s course in traditional weaving organised by the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence and the Fondazione Arte della Seta Lisio. I was then hired as a designer in Gucci’s embroidery atelier, where I worked until 2023.
Why did you give up this path?
I felt the need to create with my own hands and also slow down the pace of my life. I left the fascinating world of fashion to start my own full-time business, where I can express myself in both the making and the design of my creations.
What do you enjoy most about your craft?
The fact that it is very creative and that it requires meticulousness and technique. While I embroider and paint, I manage to detach myself from reality and meditate on my dreams, which are one of my primary sources of inspiration.
Who are your role models, points of reference or inspirers?
My approach is influenced by artists such as Miriam Schapiro (1923 -2015), who challenged the distinction between 'major' and 'minor' arts. I also believe that craftsmanship can help us overcome gender stereotypes that still persist, to varying degrees, in our society.
Bianca Hodselle is a rising star: she began her career in 2018 and she started teaching in 2021

Where


Bianca Hodselle

Address: Via Antonio Scialoja 50, 50136, Florence, Italy
Hours: By appointment only
Phone: +39 3513272632
Languages: Italian, English, Spanish
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