Hanging threaded sculptures
- Ulrika has been crafting since she was a teenager
- Her works include personal creations and commissioned pieces
- She dyes her textiles using bicarbonate and pigment colours
Before becoming a fabric sculptor, Ulrika Berge explored various crafts such as making furniture and sewing clothes. "I knew from a very young age that I like to work with my hands. This curiosity led me to textiles, a craft I chose to pursue in my studies," she explains. Ulrika is committed to nature and ethical practices – she sources her threads from a cooperative in India and strives to minimise waste by integrating leftover materials into new projects. "My creative process is intuitive and experimental. I like to bring my ideas to life by trying things out without being too critical," Ulrika says. Her work is guided by nature and its energy, from her choice of techniques to textiles, colours and shapes. Ulrika has been exhibiting her works since 1998, which allows her to observe how people respond to her pieces and draw inspiration from their reactions.
Interview
- What is your training background?
- I always knew I wanted to work with my hands – at 13 years old, I built my own furniture for my bedroom. I found my passion for weaving while studying in a specialised vocational school for crafts at Stenebyskolan in Gothenburg, Sweden. Later, I attended the former Bergen Academy of Art and Design in Norway and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.
- How would you describe your creative process?
- I like to meditate and use my own energy to see abstract shapes, colours, faces and elements of nature that I then materialise with my hands. I let my energy guide me in visualising the form and materials I want to use. I am also inspired by the space that my art will occupy, so I study the effect of light and shadows on the movement of my works.
- Do you master any specific techniques?
- I work with simple threading techniques, but I apply them in complex ways. I create the shapes using small metal wires, and I sew, thread and dye the textiles myself. Before I begin my work, I like to sketch my pieces on paper, which I use as a scaling approach.
- Where do you source your materials?
- I mainly work with textiles such as fibre, cotton and linen thread that I get from different suppliers, including thicker thread from India. I dye the textiles myself with bicarbonate and pigment colours. I always aim to not generate too much waste.
Ulrika Berge is a master artisan: she began her career in 1998 and she started teaching in 2002
Where
Ulrika Berge
