Memories cherished in fabrics
- Margarita uses mixed media in her textile art to reinterpret traditional imagery
- She is fascinated by women and their artistic capabilities
- Her work has been featured in Edit Napoli, Milan Design Week and Artemest Galleria in New York
Margarita Sclavi is a psychotherapist and self-taught textile creator who makes a wide range of objects including tapestries, cushions and table linen. "I grew up in a family that appreciated science as much as creativity. I used to watch my mother and grandmother sew and customise clothes," she says. Margarita's organic and intuitive journey as a maker has been shaped by observation, research and the use of mixed materials and techniques, such as antique fabrics, embroidery, hand-painting, stitching and ceramics. "My work combines my cultural heritage and North Macedonian roots with traditional and contemporary elements. The result is a textural craft, as I like to have an open and emotional relationship both with the material and the making process," she says. Margarita’s collections delve into memories, travels, art and the folk tradition of her homeland through layered, eclectic, one-of-a kind pieces.
Interview
- How has your upbringing impacted your work?
- Growing up, I witnessed art, architecture and psychiatry come together in one family. My North Macedonian roots and culture were also seminal as fusions of east and west, culture, mythology and folklore. In my studio, House of Ita, I collect and reinterpret all these different ideas.
- What do memories mean to you?
- The materials I work with have already had a life and carry meaning. This connects with the work of Carl Gustav Jung, whose studies on the significance of dreams and archetypes have had a great impact on my life and in my work.
- What role do women play in your work?
- I am fascinated by women's hands, as well as their ability to create with what they have – experimenting, making, dyeing and inventing colours. My craft reverberates with a continuity of love for women, their handmade trousseaus and the tradition of saving garments and handing them over to the next generation.
- Why do you give names to your collections?
- Folktales, Transpositions and Reveries represent different steps in my research, in which I delve into my roots, family background, travel or love for the arts. In my collections, my sources of inspiration come together as layers, much like the different fabrics, objects and materials that I work with.
Margarita Aleksievska Sclavi is a rising star: she began her career in 2018
Where
Margarita Aleksievska Sclavi
