Threads | Þræðir - Intertwined in Iceland: Textiles and Book Arts
The latest exhibition at Nordic Northwest's Nordia House, on display from July 8 - November 5, 2023.
Visit at 8800 SW Oleson Rd, Portland, OR 97223, 7 days a week. Mon-Fri 9am-5 pm. Sat-Sun 9am-3pm. Free admission.
For more information, visit https://www.nordicnorthwest.org/exhibits
Books and textiles are the two forms of artistic expression that have the longest history and tradition in Iceland, but it is rare that books and textiles are intertwined.
This exhibition showcases artists’ books and textile pieces by Icelandic artists and visiting artists who have been inspired by the country’s landscapes, people, language and textile traditions. The works in this exhibition are connected through stitching, weaving, knotting, tying, binding, pattern and storyline. The artists have found parallel lives in each other, unintentionally approaching art and life in similar fashions across oceans and between generations.
Threads joins together visual arts, design and craft, with the works referring to textile techniques such as weaving, embroidery and natural dyeing, as well as the Icelandic landscape, language, and the history and culture of women in the Nordic country.
There is an Icelandic saying: “Glöggt er gests augað – the guest has a clear eye.” By juxtaposing the work of the Icelandic artists with that of artists visiting the country, this exhibition not only presents an Icelandic view but reflects on how an outsider's perspective can contribute to an understanding of landscape and culture.