Tiche Synergia: Spring Breeze by MK Textile Atelier, 11a textiles & Nicla D’Angelo

Tiche synergia is pleased to announce Spring Breeze, an exhibition by textile artists Margherita Pandolfini and Karl Jorns of La Serra MK-Textile Atelier in collaboration with textile and pattern designer Claudia Nenci of 11a Textiles and embroidery artist Nicla D’Angelo of Nicla Textiles. Opening on May 15 at the Tiche Atelier, the exhibition features their new capsule collection of eight hand-dyed, hand-printed and hand-decorated kimonos, inspired by nature and their shared philosophy of sustainability, high-level craftsmanship, unity and creating unique pieces.

Spring Breeze is an eloquent reflection on the poetic beauty of nature, inviting visitors to reflect on wearable, decorative art as embodied in the delicate yet vibrant kimono. Geometrically elegant and adaptable to the female body, they were traditionally both displayed as art and worn, simultaneously a garment and artwork, a constant mediation between two- and three-dimensionality. The collection is rendered in a world of layered color, with sunny shades referencing the artists’ continued fascination with the natural world and evoking the energy of spring. In experimenting with format and technique, it reexamines the idea of the “decorative,” playing with convention and boundaries between commodity and art while striving for harmony and visual unity. 

This collaboration evolved out of the different skills of each artist, an extended dialog between different media and techniques, starting with the rough canvas of the kimono and using nature as inspiration at every step – from working exclusively with organic 100% linen, to focusing on natural dyes like the madder extract, to the motifs and designs used.  Each piece is hand-dyed by Claudia Nenci (11a Textiles) whose expert use of the brush technique or the shibori technique creates subtle shade transitions and patterns suggestive of a watercolor or geometric effect. Next, Margherita Pandolfini and Karl Jorns (La Serra MK-Textile Atelier) take the piece further, imbuing each garment with originality and idiosyncrasy through their sophisticated serigraphs. The kimonos “in eight hands” are finalized by the embroidery work of Nicla D’Angelo (Nicla Textiles), building on the work of her colleagues to tie everything together. Jointly, their demonstrable expertise and original designs, alongside the acumen to respond sensitively to Japanese and Italian design heritage through quotation and intervention, allow them to reframe familiar artefacts in novel ways, translating them into contemporary, one-of-a-kind pieces.

Tiche Synergia is an ongoing collaborative project between Tiche and Creative People in Florence, promoting contemporary artisanship, design and photography in Florence, with an emphasis on community. Passionate about creativity, fashion brand Tiche opened up its spacious studio to Florence-based artisans and designers as a space for experimentation and research, sparking new ideas and connections, and envisioning the city’s future as one of innovation and collaboration.

In line with the aims of Tiche SYNERGIA, the Spring Breeze exhibition will embed an exciting opportunity for visitors to have a positive educational, social and cultural experience by creating a workshop where visitors will be able to upcycle a beloved – albeit faded or well-worn – textile piece of their own, and to breathe new life and color into it.