Lucia Schwalenberg

Weaver

©Kerstin Schumann

©Moritz Küstner

©Franziska Gilli

©Lucia Schwalenberg

©Heiko Preller

Interweaving culture and history

Lucia connects the past and the present in her works
She specialises in jacquard weaving techniques
She both practices and teaches

It was the complexity of weaving and its cultural-historical associations that initially sparked Lucia Schwalenberg’s interest in the craft. Those links are defined by the close interconnection between different weaving techniques and the development of human civilizations across the globe. After an internship with a Swedish master weaver, there was no doubt about her path anymore. Consequently, in parallel to studies in journalism and textile design, she completed the master weaver's examination. Afterwards Lucia continued to deepen her understanding of jacquard weaving techniques at the Textile Centre Haslach, the Fondazione Lisio Florence and at Digital Weaving in Norway. Her creations have since been internationally awarded and nominated. Today, Lucia teaches at the University of Osnabrück and is working on her dissertation.

Interview

©Hans-Heinrich Schwalenberg

©Moritz Küstner

How do you connect past and present in your work?: Weaving allows me to combine an archaic art with high-tech skills to create fabrics with a unique touch and experience for the beholder. However, I am just as happy working on historical looms as I am on modern digital dobby and jacquard looms.
What keeps your passion for the craft going?: The complexity, the variety of techniques and possibilities, materials, fabric densities, colours and structures: everything. Weaving spans different times and cultures: from the Germanic splendour coat to the air-bag, from the Egyptian linen burial garment to the smart textile. Weaving is part of the sediment and the pinnacle of our civilization.
What role does the teaching play in your practice?: I try to span the gap between artistic work and teaching. It is important to encounter each generation of artistic, social and aesthetic discourse with open eyes and an unfettered approach to old and new cultural techniques. To me cultural sustainability and cultural education appear as pressing social issues.
Is you craft endangered?: Yes and no. I am experiencing a revival of the seriousness and depth of engagement with particular human cultural techniques such as weaving, since there is a growing awareness of the pain of losing cultural techniques.

Lucia Schwalenberg is a master artisan: she began her career in 2001 and she started teaching in 2012