Minna Rothman

Minna Rothman’s Artist Statement

Handwoven tapestry, for me, is all about its narrative and content. It is an ancient art form that I use as a medium for my artistic expression.

I work on my designs using my original drawings, paintings, collages, and photographs which unleash instantaneous creativity. While my initial design provides an overall composition, the actual process of weaving brings the tapestry to life. I weave tapestries in silence, freeing my mind of everyday noises and committing myself fully to the process. Weaving compels constant decision making which requires the artist’s presence at the moment and results in a unique, one-of-a-kind tapestry. Since making a handwoven tapestry is a process in time, the tapestry narrative can be seen as a sequence of creative moments that the artist shares with a viewer. Most of the time this is not obvious since the viewer does not experience actual weaving. Yet, the tapestry stands with its own narrative as a witness to human thought, telling its own story to the viewer.

I present here two latest tapestries: Peace? and Integration from my Migration 2015 series. The tapestries in the series were created from my own reflections on mass migrations and their effect on the internal life of refugees. In Peace? tapestry, I use abstract circular shapes to symbolically represent migrants’ isolation, colorful geometrical fragments for fragmented refugee life, broken lines to express time and memories, and triangular forms to represent conflicts and anger. In Integration tapestry, I use a willow pond as a metaphor for the refugee’s life, when all the fragmented experiences become “jewels” integrated into the water of a migrating life.

Minna Rothman’s Biography