Renaissance

The idea I wanted to capture in my collection is that of hope, joy and restoration, and in general a ‘world of wonderful beauty.’ The reason for this was not that I intended to endorse an idealistic delusion, but that this isn’t a perfect world and many depressing and evil things happen in it. I want to remind my audience that there is also hope and there can be times of joy and there will be restoration. We may not be in the ‘world of wonderful beauty,’ but we see glimpses of it in the beauty that is in the world. We have to remember, though, to look for it, and many times it becomes necessary to look for it- when overwhelmed by darkness, we tend to inevitably look for light, because that is what we need. A plant starved of light will search for light and if it finds a crack of light it will grow towards it. If it finds no light at all, it will die or remain dormant.

I decided to name my collection Renaissance, for multiple reasons, the first being that I experienced a revival or rebirth in myself. Partly through learning new skills, but also that I went through a slump at the end of second year which continued into the first semester and by second semester I had ideas, motivation and excitement again. I also took a new approach in my design/making process: I prayed through the whole year that God would guide my designs, make them what He wanted them to be and make them something I would be satisfied with. It has been a bumpy ride, but my faith is stronger, I am satisfied with my work and I have seen His hand in it. Multiple times through the process, things seemed that they were going to go wrong, only to turn right, or something shouldn’t have been ready, but it was. Of course, things did go wrong, too, with the common theme that they led me to where I am now, through redesigning and discarding ideas along the way. Then inspiration came at the right time, or someone came at the right time, encouraging me in the way I was going, confirming that the inspiration connected to the pieces or just affirming that it was giving the impression it should.

That impression, too, is what gives the collection its name. At the beginning of this process, I said in my Statement of Intent that “the idea I want to capture in my work is that of hope, joy and restoration.” In short, a rebirth or revival- a Renaissance. The connection with nature in the piece intertwines with this. As the second semester began, spring came and dormant things woke up; trees seemed to come alive with blossoms and bright, new leaves and the fresh smell of spring air mingled with the bright colours that were suddenly everywhere.

Finally, my interest in history adds the most obvious layer to the name, though not for the values of the art movement, but the style of the time and other time periods and the idea of something ‘ancient’ turning into something new. The idea also of the ‘renaissance man’ and versatility, particularly in an era emphasising social/political instability and a lean toward self-sufficiency, though also in the collection’s mixed materials.

The wool used was hand-dyed Shropshire wool, dyed using madder and onion-skins and needle felted.

All items in the collection remain available for purchase at this time. To enquire, send an email to em@medeswetedesigns.com.