Kustaa Saksi – Hypnopompic
Finland-born Kustaa Saksi is an internationally appreciated artist and textile designer currently residing in Amsterdam. His latest collection, titled Hypnopompic, presents uniquely beautiful and surreal artworks manufactured with jacquard weaving technique. Jacquard technique is named after the French inventor, Joseph Maris Jacquard, who designed the jacquard loom. With his automatic loom, it was possible to weave complex mechanically patterned silk fabrics. The technology was revolutionary in the textile manufacturing industry around the world. The textiles are made of mohair and alpaca wool, cotton and synthetic materials, such as phosphate and metallic acrylic thread. The title of the collection refers to a state of sensory confusion leading out of sleep, when the state of awakening gets mixed with the dream world into a surreal reality. It is an exceptional state of consciousness, in which one may experience the presence of, or see different animals and creatures. His surreal works are like abstract landscapes that also refer to the tradition of optical art. Saksi’s distinctive landscapes of organic shapes combined with vivid pictures and colors create new radiant and psychedelic worlds.