Dorothea Van De Winkel

Dorothea Van De Winkel’s Artist Statement

I lived in the center of the town of Oudenaarde (Flanders Belgium), a historic city renowned for its ancient hand-woven tapestries. I was very impressed by the skills needed and the fine art behind this craft. From this background, I started searching and collecting any information I could find on materials (wool, silk,…), tools, colors, and patterns. I wanted to know everything about it, from design to realization.

After a solid education in this art form locally and later abroad at the Ecole Nationale d’Art Décoratif, Aubusson France, I have since created my own designs and weaving cartoons in a modern style according to my feelings and emotions of the moment. Starting from a pencil sketch, in various shades of grey, but often colored, the pencil lines are maintained in the realization of the tapestry. They give a personal touch and a familiar feeling to the whole. There are restrictions – when it comes to weaving a tapestry, however, I manage to realize my drawings as close as possible to the initial design, making use of meticulously mastered skills.

I was inspired by the current world problems, conflicts, and contrarieties, realizing there is always a place for a new beginning.  Different perspectives are represented by colors, united into an artistic creation.  In that spirit, I created “In the Open Field I”  and “Tornado in the Field II.” An open mind for the positive, and take the opportunity for a new start.

Dorothea Van De Winkel’s Biography

The designs of Dorothea Van De Winkel are abstract. She realizes wall and floor tapestries, can be wholly integrated into a house (colors, form, and size). The realizations can be seen as living, standing-on-their-own art objects, or as the center point, elementary piece, or material for interior design. Furthermore, tapestry can be used in modern buildings for muting sound transmission and it adds a feeling of warmth. Dorothea is an independent textile artist–designer since 1985. She manages her own gallery “Galerij Theaxus” since September 1992 with exhibition rooms and the possibility to visit the studio, where the hand-woven tapestries are designed and made. Dorothea participates yearly in international exhibitions and competitions.