Elisa Strozyk

Looking at wood with new eyes

• Elisa creates flexible and versatile wooden textiles
• She uses a unique technique she developed herself
• She enjoys making products that people love to touch

Elisa Strozyk transforms wood into a flexible surface by deconstructing it into small, thin tiles, which she then attaches to a textile base. Depending on the size of the tiles and the pattern, each design behaves with a different degree of flexibility and mobility. “I studied textile and surface design at the KHB in Berlin and completed the master’s course in future textiles at Central Saint Martins in London in 2009. During my studies I was always interested in combining hard and soft materials to create surfaces that are very tactile and desirable to touch. Also the idea of movement and transformation from 2D to 3D was important for me. I felt very inspired by wood and the fact that it was once alive.”

Interview

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When did you start creating wooden textiles?

When I was about to finish school, I discovered textile and surface design more or less by accident and I immediately knew that this was the right direction for me. I love the tactility of things and I love working with my hands.

What is your aim when working with wood?

My aim is to take the material in its original rigid and immobile state and to bring back a sense of movement and growth. That's why I started to research ways to give textile properties to wood, to make it flexible and soft and able to move.

How would you describe the process?

The technique is similar to traditional marquetry, but the base material is a textile. I try to create objects that expose the tactility of materials and surfaces. I like to create the visual image of something that has to be desirable to touch.

Do you also work with other materials?

I like to work with materials that can change their physical state from solid to fluid and back, like glass and ceramics. In one of my projects, for example, I work with the idea that the liquid glazes flow into each other and then become solid through the firing process.

Elisa Strozyk is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2009

Works

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Where