ELISABETH HAARR'S TEXTILES PACK A POLITICAL PUNCH
Text by Robbie LaFleur
Elisabeth Haarr has been a central figure in contemporary Norwegian fibre art for decades. She received wider recognition in the fall of 2021 when she was the chosen artist for Norway’s most important annual solo exhibition, the Festutspillutstillingen (Festival Exhibition) in Bergen.
Haarr attended the College of Arts and Crafts in Oslo and early on she rebelled against the focus on conventional beauty and perfect technique, arguing that textiles could be ugly or provocative, yet meaningful and expressive. She began working in tapestry but expanded her techniques to include appliqué, sewing and embroidery, often for large protest banners.
Image: Elisabeth Haarr, Syria Blind, 2013. © Eline Mugaas. Image above: Elisabeth Haarr, Installation view at he Festival Exhibition 2021. © Thor Brødreskift.
Elisabeth Haarr has been a central figure in contemporary Norwegian fibre art for decades. She received wider recognition in the fall of 2021 when she was the chosen artist for Norway’s most important annual solo exhibition, the Festutspillutstillingen (Festival Exhibition) in Bergen.
Haarr attended the College of Arts and Crafts in Oslo and early on she rebelled against the focus on conventional beauty and perfect technique, arguing that textiles could be ugly or provocative, yet meaningful and expressive. She began working in tapestry but expanded her techniques to include appliqué, sewing and embroidery, often for large protest banners.
Image: Elisabeth Haarr, Syria Blind, 2013. © Eline Mugaas. Image above: Elisabeth Haarr, Installation view at he Festival Exhibition 2021. © Thor Brødreskift.
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