Anne Stabell worked as a costume and stage designer before specialising in tapestry. She now divides her time between Skein in Norway and Germany. She is inspired by nature and uses wool and nylon to create beautiful tapestries that are partly transparent. 

What is your background in textiles?

I learned weaving as a child from my grandmother, my mother and teachers at school. One of my teachers was a professional tapestry artist, she invited me to visit her studio, which I found very exciting. Later on I studied costume design at The National College of Art and Design in Oslo, and worked many years as a costume and stage designer for theatres. In the late eighties I took up tapestry weaving again, and since 1997 this has been my main occupation.

Where are you based and where do you weave?

My main studio is situated in Skien in Norway at an art center called Spriten Project Space, run by the municipality of Skien, There are twelve studios for artist altogether, and a big hall for art production and exhibitons.

I also work at home in my house in Skien, and in my second home in Husum/Germany. That means that I have two big tapestry looms, and one medium size at home, and equipment for dyeing at all three places.

 I love to work outdoors, collecting plants for dyeing, experiencing nature for new ideas, and taking photographs for new pieces. 

What is it about tapestry weaving that appeals to you? 

I really like the slowness of tapestry weaving and building images from “nothing”, using just threads and dye and space. I also like the possibility of allowing open spaces and different materials to be a part of the image I make.

How do you describe your work?  

Mostly I do tapestry weaving, although I have done other kinds of experimental textile work as well. I started up with tapestries made of handspun wool about twenty five years ago, and developed the transparent way I weave today about ten years later. Now I use wool and nylon dyed with plants, and a transparent technique that leaves parts of the warp visible.
Nature has always been my main inspiration, I am particularly interested in the changes and cycles of nature and human beings, and try to make textile works which communicate the feeling of being a part of the universe. In german this feeling is named Waldeinsamkeit.

What is your process for creating a piece? 

I make small, very quick and simple sketches with notes, just to remember an idea and to figure out the scale of the piece. Later I work with photographs on my computer, mostly in black and white. At the same time I figure out which materials and colours I want to use for the warp and the weft. 

Sometimes I have the colours of the warp first, and use that as an inspiration for what to weave. I try to keep my process alive, without strict routines, letting coincidences be a part of the work as far as possible . In that way I hope that each piece will get its very special “personality”.

I know it’s a hard question but how long does a larger piece take to weave? 

This is a typical question all tapestry weavers know very well!  I guess it is because as a viewer you can so easily see and feel that each move of the woven thread represents a piece of time. The technique is impossible to fake, it has to be done by hand, and it takes the time it takes. Many months with weaving in my case for the biggest pieces. And before the weaving a lot of time to develop the ideas, sketching, dyeing and computer work.

What is your career highlight so far? 

I think my last solo show in January/February this year was the best I have done so far artistically, and I am looking forward to do more exhibitions with more works on the same theme in the coming years.
To take part in international exhibitions and receiving prizes in Europe, China and USA has also been a great pleasure and honour. Being at international exhibitions is also a wonderful way to travel and to get to know people all over the world.

What advice can you give to someone who is interested in being a textile artist? 

I think the most important thing as an artist is to create what you really love and want to do, and not what you think that others would want see.
I also believe in being curious on what you are able to do, stretching limits, doing things you haven’t done before.

Is there anything you would like to add?

I will be represented in World Tapestry Now, opening in July. It is an online exhibition arranged by American Tapestry Alliance. It is a juried show, and my piece Summer in the Woods, has been honoured with the second prize.

In my studios I am working on new works for at least three solo shows in Norway, taking place in 2019 and 2020. 

www.annestabell.no