Hauser & Wirth Somerset is delighted to welcome Maria Sigma as our inaugural artist-maker-in-residence this fall. Sigma is an award-winning designer and weaver specializing in ethical hand-woven textiles for interiors. Her work celebrates a slow making ethic and ‘zero waste’ design, combining a contemporary approach to traditional weaving techniques and focusing on raw natural materials and texture.
Sigma studied at Chelsea College of Art & Design and since graduating in 2014 she has developed her own weaving practice in London. Sigma is the author of ‘Weaving: the Art of Sustainable Textile Creation’ (2020) and teacher of ‘Weaving From Waste’ workshops.
The residency is in collaboration with Make Hauser & Wirth Somerset and will be accompanied by a series of community events and workshops, sharing Sigma’s specialist knowledge and inviting a broader dialogue around weaving practices. Make is a natural extension of the wider Hauser & Wirth gallery ethos – embracing art, craft, gardens, food and architecture. Since launching in 2018 in Somerset, Make has presented work by over 80 artist-makers and provided valuable insights into material-led processes and the rich narratives of their practices. Works exhibited by Make embrace material truth, provenance, sustainability and the value of emotional engagement with the handmade.
‘I strongly believe that the importance of weaving must be highlighted; fabrics reside in the everyday and inhabit almost every corner of a household; they create a boundary between us and nature, the culture of the body and the external world. They contribute in creating a sense of something familiar and beloved.’—Maria Sigma