Mae Engelgeer’s textile series Youkoso (‘welcome’) was inspired by Japan. Class, woven wall panels from the series, reveals the versatile applications of handicrafts and the tactile properties of textiles.
Engelgeer made Class specially for her solo presentation Youkoso at the 2016 Salone del Mobile in Milan, where the wall panels served as room dividers. Besides the panels, her presentation consisted of hand-knotted carpets, bed linen and towels inspired by Japanese aesthetics and craft.
Class is divided into sections. Each section is distinguished by the use of a different weaving technique or colour. A gradient technique was used for one section while flotations of rubber yarn were applied on another.
Amsterdam-based designer Engelgeer graduated in 2004 from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute, with a specialisation in textile design. She was later accepted to the prestigious Master’s in Applied Arts at the Sandberg Instituut and developed her first collection of textiles at the TextielLab. In 2014, she opened her own studio, working on product design and development, installations and international collaborations. Her clients include Fest Amsterdam, Auping, Wolf Gordon and CC-Tapis. Her work is characterised by a distinct use of colour, geometric shapes and linear elements.
