It’s a long way from Lyon, France to Lapua, Finland. For Maëlis Ray, French textile artist and Lapuan Kankurit’s newest designer, both towns hold a lot of importance. Lyon, known for its history of silk weaving as well as the invention place of the jacquard machine, was an environment steeped in textile know-how.
“Learning about all this history and craftsmanship at such an age definitely had an impact on me and what I wanted to do with my life. It’s funny to me that I ended up working with jacquard textiles, a bit cliché – but also coming to a full circle”
Maëlis Ray
Lapuan Kankurit came to Maëlis’ life through Borås’ Swedish School of Textiles, where she was finishing her studies. “We were presenting our final works to a jury comprised of textile companies, and Lapuan Kankurit chose my work as the winner.
The prize was a choice between a monetary award or a week’s visit in their weaving mill; I chose the latter. Their mindset really resonated with me, and I was so happy to meet everyone and see the company. Everyone there is so passionate about their craft, and I was amazed at the environment they had created. All the machinery, the makers, the know-how, the drive they have for the coming years – they are always looking for new ideas and how to improve.”
Maëlis brought some samples she had worked on with her to Lapua, amongst them one that would later become Kuohu.
“Inspiration, for me, is often connected to nature. There’s so much about it that’s interesting: the softness of it, the flow, the unevenness. With Kuohu, I wanted to explore how to translate water’s flow on to a texture through these different weaves. I think water fascinates a lot of people because it’s hard to encapsulate yet so beautiful. I’m so glad Lapuan Kankurit saw a function in the design, and I love how it’s brought back to its original inspiration as a towel; I love the cycle of it.”
Maëlis’ style, as she describes it, is more about representing the beauty of nature through abstract textures and patterns, rather than trying to mimic it precisely. Jacquard weaving she likens to painting
with yarn.
“There’s beauty in the chaos of nature that touches me more than man-made things. There’s no better way of representing something so uneven, subtle and changing than with making it by hand. You can’t fake this kind of irregularity with a computer – it’s always a bit too perfect. And jacquard is a great medium, as it allows you to mix pattern and textures at the same time – you are constructing the function and the aesthetic at the same time. In general, I prefer interior textiles to wearable ones. Space, and living with things and objects, has always spoken to me more than clothes. Home is the space I relate to the most.”
Photos @Amelie Viale