Guest post by Eleanor Edwardes
‘Numen’ is the Latin word for a divine power believed to inhabit an object, and is the name given to a new textiles installation by OMA Space at the Saatchi Gallery’s Collect 2018 exhibition this year. Ghost-like robes hang above the gallery floor as sound echoes in the background – the robes appear unearthly, yet are hand-felted and woven from silk, cotton, hemp and dyed with natural dyes.
'Numen is a representation of the cycle of nature, from birth to death. This cycle applies to all living things and all natural elements on Earth' the studio explains. 'Textile is one of them and strictly follows this cycling principle of circulation. Numen has a primitive essence, based on our own relation we have with nature through our practices, by working only with natural elements and by exploring longstanding traditional expression that can find a spirited contemporary form.'
Each piece that OMA Space creates is hand-crafted combining traditional skills with contemporary design. The studio is directed by Korean artist Jiu Jang in partnership with French producer Daniel Kapelian and is based in Seoul. It sits at the intersection between fashion, art, design and textiles, and works with local artisans in Asia to create environmentally friendly garments. The studio also helps to keep hand-making skills alive, in opposition to fast-fashion and society’s consumerist approach to materials. Everything here is made slowly, with one collection per year.
Collect 2018, 22 - 25 February 2018
Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London, SW3 4RY