Considered an ancestral technique,
tapestry has been depicting the world throughout history through the reproduction of everyday scenes or abstract figures. In Brazil, especially during the
modernism era, some artists left an essential legacy for the current artistic scene, such as Jacques Douchez (1921-2012) and Jean Gillon (1919-2007). Despite this, tapestry has continued its course of evolution over the years, gaining new techniques and approaches. Below, we selected five artists who stand out in the realm of
contemporary tapestry that you need to know.
Carolina Kroff
(Tapeçaria contemporânea: 5 artistas que você precisa conhecer!/Divulgação)
A trained architect and artist by vocation,
Carolina Kroff draws inspiration for her work from the vast forests, woods, and beaches of Brazil and all the color palettes they display. She creates her
tapestries from cotton fiber in a process that goes beyond merely combining these threads to create a piece. There is much connection, intensity, and authenticity between each fiber. "I am amazed by the beauty of the unique shadows of each thread combined with its micro-textures. The
overlapping layers surprise me, jumping to my eyes like figures," she reveals. With an interesting volumetry, the pieces can be appreciated from a distance or up close, where it's possible to discover new perspectives. The artist plays with the combination of light, shadow, colors, and textures to bring depth but does not abandon the rational side, stemming from architecture, which helps to bring geometric shapes and objectivity. The artist exhibits her works at major design events, such as the
Milan Design Week and CASACOR exhibitions throughout Brazil — the piece below was part of the
Workshop of Tomorrow project by Octaedro Arquitetura at the
CASACOR Santa Catarina 2024.
Mariana Tanajura
The passion for
weaving led
Mariana Tanajura to migrate from advertising to the realm of arts. Her works are marked by abstract lines and are created with the purpose of conveying sensations and emotions, often bringing forth her own
affective memories. Another characteristic of the artist's work is the
blend of traditional looms with contemporary techniques, combined with the concept of imperfection, reinforcing the beauty of handcrafted work. Currently, Mariana is developing works for the
Essence in Weaving collection (below, the work Remanso), which is the result of an immersion in her family's cocoa farm in Southern Bahia, where lived memories during childhood marked the beginning of her journey of self-discovery.
Jessica Costa
Jessica Costa is a strong voice in contemporary textile art in Brazil. The artist has a production that stems from the technique of
manual tufting — a process where she uses electric and pneumatic guns on a fabric base — to create three-dimensional sculptures in natural wool. She paints true canvases with threads while exploring diverse color palettes, creating surfaces that evoke both the softness of touch and the density of sculpture at the same time. In the recent series
Sobejos (below), presented at
SP-Arte 2025, Jessica starts from the frame to build a visual narrative that grows beyond the limits. The artist has a background in fashion, but her journey using textiles as art began through the practice and teaching of knitting and tapestry.
Lorena Bruno
Lorena Bruno grew up in a family of seamstresses, and fabrics, threads, and scraps were always part of the visual artist's childhood. At 14, she left Brazil to work as a model, and fashion and the textile industry again played an important role in her life. Abroad, she became even closer to the arts, visited museums, and
new cultures. All of this inspires her to this day and materializes in her works. With a degree in interior design and furniture, she chose to weave threads in her daily work. According to the artist, there is poetry in the act of connecting them so that they can be transformed into something beautiful. "Art has been therapy and has healed deep marks in me, it is beautiful to see what we can produce with our own hands. Each piece produced in the studio carries a piece of me, the feelings and moments I lived during its creation. It is very gratifying to see these pieces spreading out there," she says.
Renato Dib
Graduated in visual arts,
Renato Dib began his artistic production with painting and collaging techniques. However, after some time, he expanded his work to the
research of textile materials and everyday objects. The works are built from sewing, embroidery, patchwork, knitting, assembly, and collaging techniques. The result is layers of various fabrics and papers, often in transparencies that evoke the watery visual effect of watercolor. Gradually, the materials come out of the plane and gain volume and three-dimensional shapes, almost always alluding to parts of the human body. Renato also dedicates himself to courses and work in the fields of arts, art therapy,
art history,
decoration, design, fashion, and jewelry.
