The meanings which are kept in national patterns
Creation of urban embroidery
Raquel Rodrigo (Valencia, Spain) and the residents of Almetyevsk
43 Radishchev Street

Pinky, Flowerly

Ал да гөл

Tales of the golden apples
Street Art Research Institute
Tatneft
NUVO BURO GROUP
The art object was created jointly with the residents of Almetyevsk

Context

The meaning of the messages encoded in Tatar floral embroidery.

According to the experts' opinions, not only related Turkic-speaking people of the region, Central Asia and Kazakhstan and Bashkiria cultures were influenced by Tatar polychromatic embroidery, but also the works of craftswomen from the Volga Region and western Russian regions. The earliest extant examples of embroidery dated back to the 18th century: patterns on the headdresses, towels and coverlets. Most of those artworks depict floral and plant life of the region by ribbon and heraldic (bouquet) compositions.

«Craftswomen consider flowers as the tree of life,» point out the authors of the research called «Applied Arts of Kazan Tatars». «Each piece of the pattern is thoroughly made, down to the veins on the leaves, stamens and spores outlines». This approach and the variety of compositional techniques are most clearly expressed in the decoration of prayer rugs called «namazliks» (tat. намазлык).
Field flowers of Almetyevsk, 2019.
Part of the work Raquel did in Valencia, 2019.
According to the experts' opinions, not only related Turkic-speaking people of the region, Central Asia and Kazakhstan and Bashkiria cultures were influenced by Tatar polychromatic embroidery, but also the works of craftswomen from the Volga Region and western Russian regions. The earliest extant examples of embroidery dated back to the 18th century: patterns on the headdresses, towels and coverlets. Most of those artworks depict floral and plant life of the region by ribbon and heraldic (bouquet) compositions.

«Craftswomen consider flowers as the tree of life,» point out the authors of the research called «Applied Arts of Kazan Tatars». «Each piece of the pattern is thoroughly made, down to the veins on the leaves, stamens and spores outlines». This approach and the variety of compositional techniques are most clearly expressed in the decoration of prayer rugs called «namazliks» (tat. намазлык).
Field flowers of Almetyevsk, 2019.
Part of the work Raquel did in Valencia, 2019.

Process

Art form: installation
Style: applied arts
Method: cross-stitch embroidery
Material: cotton threads, chain-link fence

The Spanish artist Raquel Rodrigo gives a new meaning to embroidery, which is traditionally used in home decoration. The meaning of her artistic approach is covered in bringing the artworks from the closed living space on the streets, making them a part of the urban environment. Thanks to the thin and barely noticeable construction of chain-link fence, thick cotton threads and large scale volumes of the work, it seems as if patterns are naturally woven into urban landscapes.

«For many years women sat at home and embroidered, didn't show their works in public», says the artist. «I want to change the idea of the applied arts and make it monumental». As a child Rodrigo was taught to embroider by her mother, she remembers. Together they decorated pillows, table cloths and bed linens with various colours.

«I am inspired by everything that surrounds me», shares Rodrigo. Starting work on the sketch of «Pinky, Flowerly», the artist decided to find some flowers common for the flora of Almetyevsk. Curators of the program picked up some examples on one of the town hills and sent taken pictures of them. Rodrigo have chosen perennial flax, a flower whose shape is often recreated by Tatar craftswomen in textiles decorating. In addition, his colour matches well to another artwork on Radishchev Street called «Dinner» by the Greek artist Dimitris Taxis.

Mixing old and new together, handicrafts and modern production, Rodrigo made a sketch of the artwork on computer (in order to visualise the final result), and most of the weaving she managed to complete in Valencia.
Raquel Rodrigo in the process of teaching locals how to embroider, Almetyevsk, 2019.
Two-day workshop on urban embroidery by Raquel Rodrigo, Almetyevsk, 2019.
Raquel's artwork was done together with local residents in the yard of the house on Radishchev Street, 2019.
The Spanish artist Raquel Rodrigo gives a new meaning to embroidery, which is traditionally used in home decoration. The meaning of her artistic approach is covered in bringing the artworks from the closed living space on the streets, making them a part of the urban environment. Thanks to the thin and barely noticeable construction of chain-link fence, thick cotton threads and large scale volumes of the work, it seems as if patterns are naturally woven into urban landscapes.

«For many years women sat at home and embroidered, didn't show their works in public», says the artist. «I want to change the idea of the applied arts and make it monumental». As a child Rodrigo was taught to embroider by her mother, she remembers. Together they decorated pillows, table cloths and bed linens with various colours.

«I am inspired by everything that surrounds me», shares Rodrigo. Starting work on the sketch of «Pinky, Flowerly», the artist decided to find some flowers common for the flora of Almetyevsk. Curators of the program picked up some examples on one of the town hills and sent taken pictures of them. Rodrigo have chosen perennial flax, a flower whose shape is often recreated by Tatar craftswomen in textiles decorating. In addition, his colour matches well to another artwork on Radishchev Street called «Dinner» by the Greek artist Dimitris Taxis.

Mixing old and new together, handicrafts and modern production, Rodrigo made a sketch of the artwork on computer (in order to visualise the final result), and most of the weaving she managed to complete in Valencia.
Two-day workshop on urban embroidery by Raquel Rodrigo, Almetyevsk, 2019.
Raquel Rodrigo in the process of teaching locals how to embroider, Almetyevsk, 2019.
Raquel's artwork was done together with local residents in the yard of the house on Radishchev Street, 2019.
Interesting facts about the working process:

800 meters of cotton threads were used to create the object.
1 luggage with embroidery was lost on the way to Almetyevsk.
100 people participated in Rodrigo's workshop.
1 additional object was done thanks to the work of local residents.
The artist's workshop participants, Almetyevsk, 2019.
Interesting facts about the working process:

800 meters of cotton threads were used to create the object.
1 luggage with embroidery was lost on the way to Almetyevsk.
100 people participated in Rodrigo's workshop.
1 additional object was done thanks to the work of local residents.
The artist's workshop participants, Almetyevsk, 2019.

Author


Raquel Rodrigo was born in Valencia in 1984. She started to study visual arts at The Polytechnic University of Valencia, where she specialised in theater, television, and film scenography. Interested in commercial design and window dressing, she got an additional education in Madrid. She started to make large scale embroidery in 2011. Her main idea was to place private and labour-intensive results of women labour on the streets, «and to make cities cosy», explains the artist. In 2014 she founded a studio named Arquicostura, which is devoted to commercial projects connected with embroidery. This includes interior partitions decorating, making furniture, shop windows and exhibition areas decorating.

«My strongest passion is the work on spaces and objects, which elicit emotions and create new meanings», explains Rodrigo. Her embroideries can be seen on the walls of Madrid, Valencia and Leon. Beyond Spain they can be found in Dubai, Bristol and Almetyevsk.
«Pinky, Flowerly» on a house facade in Almetyevsk, 2019.
A street embroidery by Raquel Rodrigo, Valencia, Spain.
Raquel Rodrigo was born in Valencia in 1984. She started to study visual arts at The Polytechnic University of Valencia, where she specialised in theater, television, and film scenography. Interested in commercial design and window dressing, she got an additional education in Madrid. She started to make large scale embroidery in 2011. Her main idea was to place private and labour-intensive results of women labour on the streets, «and to make cities cosy», explains the artist. In 2014 she founded a studio named Arquicostura, which is devoted to commercial projects connected with embroidery. This includes interior partitions decorating, making furniture, shop windows and exhibition areas decorating.

«My strongest passion is the work on spaces and objects, which elicit emotions and create new meanings», explains Rodrigo. Her embroideries can be seen on the walls of Madrid, Valencia and Leon. Beyond Spain they can be found in Dubai, Bristol and Almetyevsk.
«Pinky, Flowerly» on a house facade in Almetyevsk, 2019.
A street embroidery by Raquel Rodrigo, Valencia, Spain.

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