The Tactile Luxury of Emma Terweduwe’s Jacquard Woven Textiles
Emma Terweduwe is a Belgian textile designer and artist specialising in jacquard weaving, whose design philosophy is grounded in creating textiles that stimulate our sense of touch, critiquing our fast-paced and superficial society’s obsession with appearance over substance. Her pieces are luxurious and expressive, combining natural and durable materials, strong and colourful graphic design, and a unique process of felting woven fabrics.
Portrait: © Sam Gilbert // Pieces: © Ines Vansteenkiste, Lydie Nesvadba // Process: © Patty van den Elshout
One of Terweduwe’s standout collections is Gradient, a series of jacquard woven rugs made from a blend of Merino wool, Mohair, linen, and cotton. Terweduwe’s process involves felting and manipulating the fabric after weaving, resulting in a three-dimensional rug with organic shapes and textures that look and feel luxuriously tactile.
“Through a series of carpets, blankets and scarfs, I invite the user to thoughtfully touch, feel and treasure.“
– Emma Terweduwe
The Gradient collection is a testament to Terweduwe’s design philosophy, which prioritizes the handmade and the tactile. The rug has no real front or backside, as both are equally valuable and express different feelings, allowing the owner to enjoy different textures and perspectives. The Gradient collection is made in collaboration with TextielLab Tilburg, an artisanal weaving studio that shares Terweduwe’s commitment to preserving local crafts and traditions.
Terweduwe’s limited series of blankets is another example of her exceptional use of jacquard weaving. In collaboration with B&T Textilia, a high-end local weaving company, she has produced two plaid blankets woven in wool, mohair, and cotton, each uniquely finished by hand. Using her sensibility for contemporary graphic designs and the traditional process of jacquard weaving, Terweduwe threads new life into the artisanal crafts of the past.
Terweduwe’s approach to design is deliberately slow and considered, applying digital tools to analogue processes without compromising on the characteristics of a handmade object. Her Gradient collection is a beautiful example of how traditional crafts and industrial techniques can go hand in hand to create hybrid designs that are both more human and more poetic.
Emma Terweduwe’s work is a reflection of the richness, diversity, and creativity of the Belgian design sector, and can be seen at Salone Satellite as part of the ’New Belgians’ booth, organised by Belgium Is Design, this year’s edition of Milan Design Week (18-23 April 2023).
Fiera Milano, Rho
SaloneSatellite
Pavilion 13-15
Belgium is Design / Stand D13-E08
BIO
Emma Terweduwe (°1996) is a textile designer based in Ghent, Belgium. In 2019 she graduated with a master’s degree in Textile Design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent. Since then she has run her own textile studio where she works on her designs, focusing on consciously jacquard woven objects for interior and fashion.
Terweduwe’s work is defined by the use of raw and natural materials that are subtle yet expressive such as wool and linen. By felting and manipulating, the woven fabrics change: they shrink, move and distort. In this way, the materials start expressing their most tactile self. Texture, structure and colour are very significant in her work, tactility is what it is all about. Through this, she criticises our fast and visually driven society, by creating textile pieces that are meant to touch our tactile senses.
