Mellow Gates 1

Part One of a Triptych

his woven gate forms part of a triptych that reimagines the visual codes and tactile presence of wrought-iron gates and fences. Harsh metal patterns are translated into soft yet imposing woollen textiles, transforming ornamental barriers into fabric thresholds. Through this shift, the forbidding weight of iron is softened and the gates take on a mysterious, beckoning quality that urges the viewer to look closer, to imagine stepping beyond.

Drawing on a blend of Renaissance and Louis XV fencing styles, the woven scrollwork echoes centuries-old motifs of plants and vines, patterns that recur across cultures. The textile’s gaps and openings invite a discreet glimpse into what lies beyond, into a hidden garden, while the textures of the outside and inside of the gate play between the messaging to the busy outside and quiet plushness of the world held just out of sight.

In collaboration with the TextielLab, the professional workshop of the TextielMuseum.