Kristine Stattin, Effervescence, 2021, hand and free motion embroidery. Cotton sewing threads and DMC threads, on linen fabric.
Isatis Tinctoria
Kristine Stattin: A Journey in Self-Taught Textile Art
Kristine Stattin is a self-taught textile artist whose work beautifully blends traditional craftsmanship with a modern, and abstract approach. She has attended a couple of workshops, and her journey in textile art has been largely self-driven, it’s been fuelled by a passion for fabric, thread, and endless creative possibilities. Kristine uses a combination of machine and hand stitching in her work and draws from her deep connection to the materials and techniques she’s developed over time.
The Art of Thread Painting
At the heart of Kristine’s work is what she describes as thread painting—a unique technique allowing her to “paint” with the thread, and explore the interplay with colour, line, shape, and texture in abstract compositions. Unlike traditional painting, where a brush applies the pigments to a surface, Kristine’s approach involves carefully layering threads through hand stitching and machine work to create intricate and often three-dimensional artworks.
Her thread paintings aren’t about depicting a specific object or scene; they are abstract explorations where each stitch contributes to a larger, intuitive design. Each piece is an exercise in balancing the physicality of textiles with the expressive qualities of fine art, offering viewers of her work a tactile, and engaging experience.
A Dialogue Between Machine and Hand
Kristine’s creative process is a dance between her machine and hand stitches and blends the precision of machine embroidery with a personal, intimate touch of handwork. This dual approach allows her to be playful with different textures and levels of detail, often creating a sense of movement or depth in her pieces.
The machine stitching lends her work a structured, almost architectural quality, while the hand stitches introduce a sense of imperfection, warmth, and personality. Together, they create dynamic contrasts—smooth against rough, tight patterns against free-flowing lines—that elevate each piece from a simple textile project to a work of art.
Abstract Explorations: Colour, Line, and Texture
Kristine’s thread paintings are often driven by her fascination with the fundamentals of visual art—colour, line, shape, and texture rather than working with specific themes or subjects, she embraces an abstract approach and lets the materials guide her creative direction. This method allows her to push the boundaries of what textiles can do, creating pieces that challenge the conventional notion of what constitutes as “textile art.”
In her work, you’ll see rich and layered textures that evoke emotions and a sense of wonder. Her use of colour ranges from bold, vibrant hues to softer, muted tones, each chosen deliberately to create harmony or tension within the piece. The interplay of lines—some straight and geometric, others loose and organic—gives her work a rhythmic quality, inviting the viewer to interpret the movement and energy within the fabric.
A Self-Taught Artist’s Path
What makes Kristine’s journey particularly inspiring is her self-taught background. She has no formal training, and she has developed her techniques through exploration, trial, alongside personal discovery. While she has attended workshops here and there, her mastery of both machine and hand stitching has been built through practice, a deep love for textiles, and an inherent drive to express herself through her craft.
Her self-taught status brings a sense of authenticity and originality to her work and she isn’t bound by traditional methods or rules, and this allows her to experiment and break conventions in the way she constructs her pieces. Her art feels fresh, personal, and distinctly her own.
The Power of Textiles as Art
Kristine Stattin’s work exemplifies the power of textiles as a fine art medium and her thread paintings, show how fabric and thread can be more than functional materials; they can be tools for expression, much like paint and canvas. Her abstract, texture-rich pieces invite viewers to look beyond the stitches and see the emotional depth woven into each layer.
By blending machine precision with the warmth of hand stitching, Kristine opens up a new dialogue in textile art—one where the possibilities are endless, and the process is as meaningful as the finished work.
Whether you’re an admirer of textile art or someone curious about the ways fabric can transcend traditional use, Kristine Stattin’s abstract explorations are sure to inspire and captivate.
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Online Sources:
https://www.kristinestattin.com/
Rachel Bakewell 