My Research About Textiles, Art and The Book - Worn, by Sofi Thanhauser and Why I Returned to Working with Textiles:

Rediscovering an Artistic Legacy

Returning to textiles in my artistic practice was not a sudden decision—it was a quiet rediscovery, a red thread I never truly lost sight of. From an early age, fabrics and the act of making were a vital part of my life and shaped the direction of my creative path.

Textiles and Craft as the Foundation of My Training

After finishing school, I aspired to become a fashion designer. But before diving into design, I felt it was important to first learn the craft. During my training as a bespoke tailor at Maßschneiderei Schmidt in Germany’s Sauerland region, I came to appreciate the precision, patience, and knowledge that each garment demands. This hands-on experience laid the foundation for my artistic journey, which led me through positions in Dortmund and eventually to the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and later to the Städelschule in Frankfurt.

However, within the context of contemporary fine art, textiles suddenly disappeared from view. No one was sewing or weaving. So, I put down the needle—or so I thought—and turned my attention to drawing and painting. Textile art became a chapter I quietly closed.

Meeting Felicity Brown: A Turning Point

Everything changed in 2015, when I invited British designer Felicity Brown to speak at my studio in Frankfurt. We had previously met in Dubai, where I saw her working on a mannequin at Tashkeel—a moment that deeply resonated with me. Her process, both intuitive and intense, unlocked a flood of memories and gave me the courage to pick up the needle again. From that moment, I couldn’t stop exploring and relearning the world of textile craftsmanship.

Fascination Deepens: Textiles as Cultural, Material, and Sociological Practice

Since then, my artistic research into fibers, textiles, and their cultural, material, and sociologicaldimensions has deepened significantly. My library grew, along with my collection of tools: looms, spindles, needles, yarns, and fabrics. I began attending workshops, experimenting with techniques, observing, listening—and most importantly, learning.

Worn by Sofie Thanhauser: A Key Text in Textile History

One of the most important books for my current understanding has been Worn by Sofie Thanhauser. Her detailed account of the history of clothing reveals why we know so little about textile production, even though we literally live in it every day. Thanhauser shows how the devaluation of textile labor—especially women’s domestic work—began not with industrialization but centuries earlier. With the rise of guilds in the 13th century, home-based textile work was labeled inferior, restricted, and eventually outlawed. This not only stripped women of their economic agency, but also erased their social visibility.

The Invisible Labor of Textiles

This process also explains why textile art was excluded from the canon of fine art—alongside the entire realm of domestic creativity. While industrial assembled products and fashion design is widely accepted and celebrated, the methods of production, tools, and craftsmanship remain hidden in the background. Invisible labor stays invisible—even today.

Resistance and the Quiet Transmission of Knowledge

And yet, there has always been resistance. Women passed down their knowledge—often quietly, in private—hand to hand, heart to heart. This act of collective making, of feeling, thinking, and working in sync, is what inspires me today. I draw from both haute couture and indigenous practices, many of which carry ritual and communal significance.

Textiles as Expressions of Culture and Identity

Imagine sitting at a backstrap loom, tying the warp threads to a tree, the other end around your hips. Your body becomes the measure. Every small movement changes the fabric. It’s an immediate connection between you and the material—like writing with your body.

Imagine turning your dreams into patterns, like the girls learning Mola applique from their grandmothers. Imagine wearing a fringed skirt like women did for over 20,000 years—not for warmth or modesty, but as a symbol of fertility, of life itself.

If Textiles Had Survived Like Stone or Metal...

If textiles had endured time as well as stone or metal and if women’s work had remained recognized and valued, we might not refer to a “Stone Age,” but rather a “String Age.” The story of the fiber begins with the string—the invention of twisting short, loose fibers into a durable thread. It was the beginning of connection, of transport, of survival—and of culture itself.

Preserving Knowledge: Why Textile Art Matters Today

Today, as many people no longer know how to sew on a button and textile crafts has been removed from German schools, I ask myself: Can we really afford to lose this knowledge?

Recommended Reading

If you're interested in exploring the history of textile work, I highly recommend these two books:Sofie Thanhauser: WornElisabeth Wayland Barber: Women’s Work – The First 20,000 Years

Both offer profound insights into the value of textile culture—and encourage us to pick up the thread once more and reengage with the world of textile art.