Inger Johanne Rasmussen

Patchworker

Telling stories through tapestry

Inger's first commission was a tapestry for a city hall in Norway
Archetypal concepts and myths animate her work
She collects textile patterns, which she reinterprets in her work

Inger Johanne Rasmussen creates large-scale textile intarsia with woollen cloth, which she dyes, cuts and stitches by hand. “I was interested in textile crafts from a very early age, learning knitting and sewing from my mother. I have been studying and working with art and textiles full time since the age of 16.” She learned decorative drawing and weaving in high school, then at the Bergen art school (SHKD) and in Stockholm (Konstfack). Her inspirations include textiles from all around the world, old patterns, folk art, early Renaissance paintings, optical illusions, traditional embroidery, children’s drawings and needlework samplers.

Interview

How would you describe what you do?: I am a contemporary artist working with textiles. I tell stories with pictures, starting with a traditional pattern and then enlarging it, dramatising it, changing the colours, cutting up and putting together elements, and adding my own figures.
In what way is Norwegian culture linked to your work?: My extensive knowledge of working with wool – spinning, plant dying, weaving and so on – is deeply linked to Norwegian textile traditions. Norwegian pattern traditions are also important for me, but I do not let this restrain me from exploring many different cultures.
How do your textile tapestries come to life?: I start off by sketching the design. Then I dye the cloth myself, and start cutting and assembling the intarsia. I love every stage of the process, including the time-consuming stitching, my moment of tranquillity and meditation.
So it's important to put the time in?: Yes, you need to take time to master a skill and get to know materials. Be prepared to put in time and effort before being able to do anything that’s really good. But above all, do not stop being playful and enjoy your work. Don’t let short-lived fashions in art restrict you from doing what you would like to do.

Inger Johanne Rasmussen is an expert artisan she began her career in 1982