The soft power of wool
- Kristy experiments with felt as a sculptural medium
- A background in carpentry allows her to design complete pieces that appear to float
- She adds multiple materials to the wool felting process to create textural pieces
Kristy Kún’s felting journey began in 2009 when she organised artist-led workshops as the owner of a fibre arts supply studio. Hosting guest instructors allowed her to glimpse behind the scenes and pick up wool techniques. From felted flowers to fluid forms that seem suspended in the air, Kristy’s practice has evolved through experimentation with materials and methods. Water plays an important role in her practice: “There is a bathtub at the centre of my wet-felting space and a pond down the drive. This is where magic enters the process and where I can play and daydream, swirling and shaping the felt into all sorts of forms,” she says. Kristy draws from those moments to sculpt her flowing textiles.
Interview
- How do you integrate carpentry with your textile practice?
- I do almost as much behind-the-scenes carpentry as felting: the sculpted pieces that appear to float on the wall are actually mounted on custom-built panels hidden behind the textile. Having fabrication skills means I can build whatever structure is needed to support the piece without compromising its appearance.
- What do you love about wool?
- I am continually fascinated by the strength and transformative properties of such a pure and simple material. When you felt wool fibres around or into other materials, they exert enough force to reshape them.
- How do you combine different materials in your felting?
- I begin by needle-felting wool with ultralight fabrics like cheesecloth, silk, plant fibres and even occasionally metal. I force the materials together in unusual ways to achieve the results I want.
- What are you currently experimenting with?
- I have worked with discarded T-shirts for a couple of years. I am exploring ways to make them the primary material, blended with wool and other fibres.
Kristy Kún is a master artisan: she began her career in 2010 and she started teaching in 2012
Where
Kristy Kún
