When asked ‘what about medium of fiber appeals to you’, Weaver Kristin Majkrzak replied texture, color and the way light bounces of fiber. It has a dimensionality other mediums don’t have. Tapestry weaving is Kristin’s first love because the limitations of the warp grid encourage creativity the way form does in poetry. Taking daily walks provides Kristin with an endless amount of source material from the natural world’s own geometry, color combinations, shape and illusions. Kristin’s studio is located in downtown Bemidji.

Artist Statement:

Tapestry remains my favorite means of artistic expression.  The limitations of the weaving grid are freeing, as form can be for poetry.  I like to feel the creative sparks as I work my way around those limitations.  It’s also a slow and meditative process.  At times I use my own photographs, “tweaking” them to enhance the image and paying close attention to what I’m actually seeing instead of what I “think” I’m seeing.  I also play with geometry, illusions, what I find in the natural world, or just doodle. I have been exploring different facets of tapestry, including techniques from many parts of the world, facial expression, and 3-dimensional tapestry.  I hope soon to try weaving larger pieces, especially those using layered image, both as technique and as metaphor.  I would also like to explore the intersection of woven image and poetry. The possibilities are endless!

Artist Bio:

I did not become truly entangled in the strands of the Fiber Arts world until I was almost 50, although I have always loved the textures of yarn running through my fingers and the interplay of colors.  I learned to spin yarn in 2003 and was subsequently introduced to Spin-Off magazine.   When I first saw an article about a tapestry weaver who was spinning her own weaving yarn, along with photos of her magnificent and whimsical work, I was completely entranced!   Since then, I have taken many tapestry classes and workshops, plus other weaving classes.