Marianne Kemp

Weaving works of colour and texture

• Marianne's specialisation is weaving with horsehair
• She experiments with combinations of texture, colour and movement
• She sees her loom as a tool with which she can create new surfaces

The first time Marianne Kemp encountered weaving was at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. “It was during my final year, when I used weaving as the main subject of my project. That was when I started experimenting with dried plant fibres and horsehair.” After a master's at Chelsea College of Art and Design, she stayed in London where she started to sell her first horsehair wall pieces. Back in her native Holland, Marianne continued to innovate on the loom, developing many different techniques and applications. “I sometimes work with fashion and interior designers to incorporate different materials and techniques and create something completely new and unique. I like weaving surfaces that are different, and not necessarily recognised as conventional weaving.”

Interview

©Eddy Wenting

©Marianne Kemp

What attracted you to weaving?

When I first learned how to weave, I was fascinated by the simplicity of vertical and horizontal threads creating fabric. By combining the weaving technique with different fibres like horsehair and other rough materials I could make texture, and that was even more interesting for me than just plain fabric.

How did this passion become a profession?

After my master's degree, I started a collaboration with John Boyd Textiles, a horsehair weaving company in the south of the UK. My first designs and the story behind them were published in the World of Interiors magazine. That was when I bought my first handloom.

When did you decide to weave your own designs?

It was just a few years later that I realised that weaving is an important part of me, and that the loom is my instrument for creating. For me the fun is creating new surfaces in textiles. Like a painter having a canvas and a brush and paint, I use a loom as a tool, together with thread and horsehair.

What inspires your creativity?

One of my ways of working is simply to sit in front of the loom and let the materials themselves direct the process. Travelling is another source of inspiration: trips to Mexico, Africa, Mongolia and Japan have sparked my interest in traditional art and design. I like to incorporate these worldwide weaving traditions in my own creative ideas.

Marianne Kemp is a master artisan: she began her career in 2001 and she started teaching in 2006

Works

©Marianne Kemp

©Eddy Wenting

©Boris Schimidt

Where