Marta Pokojowczyk

Interweave Studio

Weaver

©Magdalena Pulik

©Aneta Jurgilewicz-Stępień

©Magdalena Pulik

©Aneta Jurgilewicz-Stępień

From threads to paintings

Marta specialises in the multishaft weaving technique
Her main inspiration is folk culture and nature
In 2019 she received a governmental scholarship

From a fairytale town surrounded by an ancient forest, talented young weaver Marta Pokojowczyk creates her unique woven paintings. By merging traditional folk weaving techniques with modern forms and paint, she designs three-dimensional canvases, fashion accessories and interior textiles. Marta started experimenting with textiles during her diploma in painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw in 2013 by ripping open and sewing jute coffee bags. She transformed her passion into a career in 2015 after completing a 5-month-long weaving course organised by Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs at Helena Loerman's Handwoven Textiles Atelier in Odemira, Portugal. Marta loves the manual and environmentally friendly process of weaving on her loom. After running her studio for 2 years in Wroclaw, she decided to move to Supraśl in 2019, a small town in north-east Poland.

Interview

©Aneta Jurgilewicz-Stępień

©Aneta Jurgilewicz-Stępień

What is the process required to create your artwork?: I specialise in multishift weaving, so all the textiles are constructed on a 12-shaft loom by using a painting technique of glazing. The three-dimensional forms and canvases are created by applying transparent or semi-transparent layers onto each other.
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?: In my work ancient craft meets contemporary design and technology. I always search for a new way of presenting my works, for example by juxtaposing handwoven semi-transparent linen forms with stainless steel or aluminum constructions.
What do you love most about your profession?: The element of creativity, the manual character of the work, the natural and eco-friendly process, and its unlimited possibilities. I love to design a piece of cloth from a single thread and admire how it corresponds with human needs by enriching the quality of everyday life.
What advice would you give to an aspiring weaver?: Be open to new possibilities and never stop learning. Focus on diversification of your products and services. Beginnings can be tough but do not give up.

Marta Pokojowczyk is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2015 and she started teaching in 2022