Maja Vogl

Weaver

©Eva Jünger

©Maja Vogl

Vibrant silks

Maja's work is the result of joyful experimentation
She is married to the painter Richard Vogl
She chose weaving after studying fine art

Maja Vogl lives near Regensburg with her husband, the painter Richard Vogl, in a former village school. The studios of the artist couple are also located here. While still a student, Maja did an internship with textile designer and master weaver Sigrid Reeckmann and trained under her after school. Following her training, she began to study painting at the Academy of Arts in Munich with Rudi Tröger. "Early in my studies, I decided that I preferred weaving because I can create a greater depth of colour through the fabric," explains Maja. As well as monochrome surfaces, she likes to work with free graphic patterns made up of individual threads or stripes in a different colour. With a great deal of joy for experimentation and tremendous technical skill, Maja pushes the limits of what is possible with a handloom.

Interview

©Maja Vogl

©Maja Vogl

How do you create the vibrant colours in your fabrics?: My weaving is almost exclusively silk, as it lets the colours shine more than any other material. My surface structure is created by using industrially made yarns with the strength of sewing silk. Using a variety of shades of red in the warp, I can differentiate nuances of a shade of red.
What is an unforgettable moment in your career?: I was allowed to weave a clothing fabric based on my own ideas during my internship. It was then tailored into a skirt and gifted to me. I was overjoyed. This experience also influenced my decision to train as a hand weaver.
Have you received any awards?: The Danner Foundation promotes Bavarian arts and crafts since 1920. The Danner Prize and several honorary prizes are awarded every three years. In 2011, I received one of them. In addition to the award itself, I particularly liked the presentation.
What is your life like as an artist couple?: I am very thankful for our life as an artist couple. Our finances were sometimes tight in the beginning. But an order or collector always came along at the right time. Over the course of our professional careers, we have met many great people.

Maja Vogl is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1977