What attracted you to weaving?
When I first learned how to weave, I was fascinated by the simplicity of vertical and horizontal threads creating fabric. By combining the weaving technique with different fibres like horsehair and other rough materials I could make texture, and that was even more interesting for me than just plain fabric.
How did this passion become a profession?
After my master's degree, I started a collaboration with John Boyd Textiles, a horsehair weaving company in the south of the UK. My first designs and the story behind them were published in the World of Interiors magazine. That was when I bought my first handloom.
©Eddy Wenting
When did you decide to weave your own designs?
It was just a few years later that I realised that weaving is an important part of me, and that the loom is my instrument for creating. For me the fun is creating new surfaces in textiles. Like a painter having a canvas and a brush and paint, I use a loom as a tool, together with thread and horsehair.
What inspires your creativity?
One of my ways of working is simply to sit in front of the loom and let the materials themselves direct the process. Travelling is another source of inspiration: trips to Mexico, Africa, Mongolia and Japan have sparked my interest in traditional art and design. I like to incorporate these worldwide weaving traditions in my own creative ideas.