Katerina Nakou’s Resilient Thread reintroduces the overlooked art form of passementerie through large-scale, loom-woven compositions of yarns and handmade cords. This intricate craft, known for its detailed and ornamental textile embellishments, brings our attention to the often-unseen details, inviting us to recognise and appreciate the peripheral forces that shape our world.
Passements are decorative elements traditionally found at the edges of clothing and other objects. One of the rarest textile arts, practiced far less frequently than other techniques such as weaving, knitting, or embroidery, passementerierepresents the periphery and the margins. Traditional cord making is one of many techniques of passementerie, which also includes tassels and fringes. Unlike fabric weaving, where the focus is typically on the centre, here, the artisan’s attention is on the edges, where patterns flourish, and the centre serves as a supportive base for the edges to ‘bloom.’ By magnifying and placing this overlooked craft at centre stage, Katerina Nakou highlights its unique beauty and significance while also emphasizing its peripheral position both literally and metaphorically.
Nakou’s eight compositions, including the cords, are entirely handmade. Each composition blends motifs and weaving techniques inspired by different traditional designs. Nakou repositions them freely, creating a collage of patterns, and thus breaking the cycle of repetitiveness. Each cord has a core of wire, essential for the sculptural formation of the work (the curve being a key element of passementerie). The cords intertwine, meet, and form pathways they traverse alone or with ‘companions,’ yet they all coexist in a bigger ensemble, representing interacting threads and collective entanglements. As they become assimilated within a larger whole, the uniqueness of each composition lies both in the unusual combinations of materials and textures as well as in the attention to detail. Ensuring a continuous thread while preserving the distinctiveness of each work, a meticulous observer can discover common hidden traces among the eight compositions, even though no cord or other element is ever repeated. The cords, although individual elements, soon become a ‘gathering of threads,’ where individuality and collectivity coexist in harmony, and nothing remains static.
Nakou’s dedication to craftsmanship and weaving as a connective tissue reflect a profound sense of care, that traces and reveals elements of the human experience in its threads. Even in this large-scale, magnified setting, attention to detail remains essential. This emphasizes the importance of nurturing and preserving the delicate balance of individuality, difference, and unity. It challenges us to reevaluate what we consider important in our lives and communities, promoting a more inclusive approach that recognizes the symbolic value of the margins in our quest for resilience. The Resilient Thread represents our capacity as individuals, communities, and ecosystems to withstand crises and changes; not merely to survive, but to work together and flourish. It requires willingness, self-initiative, and conscious effort to actively engage ourselves. It is a reminder of an inclusive approach to our world and an active choice in our search for harmony.
