Renata Meirelles

Jewellery maker

©Lígia Negreiros

©Joaquim Ramalho

©Laila Kontic

©Lígia Negreiros

Sculptural forms of thread and fabric

Renata makes artistic textile pieces that sit between sculpture and jewellery
She combines artisanal, industrial and digital techniques in her practice
Her works are exhibited in Brazil and abroad

Renata Meirelles’ background as a visual artist influences how she imagines her textile pieces and jewellery. She regularly researches and experiments with different materials. Renata combines traditional techniques like weaving and knotting threads with industrial and digital processes like laser cutting, heat bonding and 3D printing. “I like that line between the precision of industrial techniques and the freedom of manual techniques,” she says. Through positive and negative fabric cut-outs, the award-winning artist creates layered and lace-like pieces made without a needle, to be worn as jewellery or simply hung as sculptures. Renata's work is regularly exhibited in her native Brazil and abroad, as she is recognised for her ability to create stimulating hybrid textile languages.

Interview

©Joaquim Ramalho

©Laila Kontic

How does your multidisciplinary background shape your textile art?: I began with paper, making notebooks and albums, which led me to researching fabrics. My painting, drawing, collaging and photography skills as well as my work with porcelain, ceramics, metal and wood have broadened my understanding of materials and expanded my creative approach beyond textiles.
Which traditional processes do you apply to your work?: I draw with threads and create aerial shapes with techniques like fisherman net knots and tying. I learned weaving on nail and free looms. My curiosity then led me to dye fabrics, explore yarn and work with embroidery and basketry.
What specialised techniques do you use?: I like to explore the positive and negative sides of a piece. For example, when I use thermal adhesives, I weld one fabric to another, which always creates two distinct surfaces – one colourful, the other plain. They are the two sides of the same coin.
Is your work inspired by Brazil?: Yes, I often travel a lot in Brazil to meet artisans in different places and integrate their knowledge into my craft. I call these places ‘organic ateliers’, because they are spaces where people live and practise their craft, combining everyday life with artisanal work.

Renata Meirelles is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1989