”Wild Flowers, Garden Flowers, and Fantasy Flowers” is an exhibition by textile artist Julie Skarland. The exhibition consists of black tapestries with large floral motifs, woven from torn fabric strips in cotton canvas.

Small square pieces of fabric have been applied, giving the floral motifs a pixel effect. The carpets feature both wild flowers, garden flowers, and fantasy flowers. The flowers are depicted with long stems and leaves, and sometimes with the roots. This evokes associations with botanical posters from science lessons at school.

”I paint flowers so they will not die” – Frida Kahlo

Words from the artist

”Just like Frida Kahlo, I am concerned that our flowers will disappear. Valuable nature is being destroyed at an alarming rate, and if it doesn’t stop, our flowers may vanish. Many flowers are already on the red list.

I love flowers, and I surround myself with them as much as I can. The shape, color, and smell of flowers never cease to fascinate me, which is why I often incorporate them into my artwork.

When I see flowers growing in nature, I am impressed by the vitality they display. They take root and burst through tiny cracks to grow and flourish, bringing joy to us humans and animals alike. Then I think of the Japanese proverb: Flowers are the laughter of the earth.”

Julie Skarland

Julie Skarland (born 1960 in Trondheim) lives and works in Oslo. Skarland has a journeyman’s certificate in dressmaking and costume tailoring. She attended the Stockholm Tailoring Academy and studied fashion design at Studio Berçot in Paris.

Skarland has had solo exhibitions at the National Museum in Oslo, the Trondheim Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, Galleri Riis, Bomuldsfabriken Kunsthall, Kunstbanken Hedmark Art Center, Galleri Format, and Galleri SOFT, in addition to numerous group exhibitions such as Kiss the Frog and Tendencies.

Julie Skarland lived and worked in Paris from 1987 to 2005. Here, she had her own fashion brand, Julie Skarland, and a store in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Between 2005 and 2016, Skarland lived and worked in New Delhi, India. In India, she published a book titled ”Dilli-dil” with photos from New Delhi and created a perfume called ”Blueer Than Velvet.”

Skarland’s works are held in the collections of the National Museum in Oslo, the Trondheim Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, the Sørlandet Art Museum, the Norwegian Crafts Acquisition Fund, and the Musée du Louvre in Paris.

Julie Skarland has been the chairman of the Norwegian Textile Artists since 2023.

Part of Craft Days 2024

The Craft Days Biennial takes place from May 2nd to May 5th, 2024, with the aim of highlighting, strengthening, and showcasing the field of crafts in the Västra Götaland region.

Art galleries, cooperatives, educational institutions, and artist-driven initiatives come together in a rich program featuring exhibitions, workshops, lectures, and much more. Craft Center is the project leader and coordinates the event in collaboration with Konstepidemin, the Textile Museum, Form & Folk, and Not Quite. Craft Days 2024 is supported by the City of Gothenburg and the Västra Götaland Region.