Beyond an Inferno 2020

Fibre, embroidery & stitched textile with charred found objects from the 2017 wildfires; drawing on dyed silk

Exhibited in The Fire and After (2017–present)

A series made in the aftermath of the 2017 wildfires that swept Ponte da Mucela, in Portugal, where de Villiers lives. Mixed-media drawings of fire-ruined objects — a burnt electric saw, mangled power tools — hang beside the blackened found objects themselves, with rubble gathered along the gallery floor.

Much of the work was made during the 2020 lockdown: the drawings, the dyeing of the silk grounds and some of the stitching were worked on the terrace in front of the studio. It was shown in Feito & re-Feito (2024) at the Garagem Exhibition Centre, Ponte da Mucela.

More in Fibre Art

Mycoremediation — Celia de VilliersMycoremediation2022 · Fibre sculpture — reclaimed textiles, fibre and nettingLiminal Rite — Celia de VilliersLiminal Ritec. 2010 · Hand-dyed textiles and yarns; hand and machine embroideryDisavowal — Celia de VilliersDisavowal2005–2006 · Polyurethane, velvet, suede, fake fur & latexResonance — Celia de VilliersResonancec. 2006 · Sculpted hand-dyed felt, hand & machine embroidery, biodegradable fibresFragile Negotiations — Celia de VilliersFragile Negotiations2025 · Eco-dyed, botanically-printed biodegradable & up-cycled fibre; knotting, weaving, felting & embroideryWomb Stories — Celia de VilliersWomb Stories2020 · Vintage linen, lace, tulle and cotton, silk paint and embroidery threads; hand and machine stitchedSaudade Bahia — Celia de VilliersSaudade Bahia2004 · Found jetsam and flotsam — fishing net, weathered textiles, jute, plastic and plant material with a found sewing machine; over-dyed, embroidered, woven, crocheted and knittedForged by Fire — A Cloak for Nommo — Celia de VilliersForged by Fire — A Cloak for Nommo2008 · Mixed media — natural and synthetic yarns and fabrics, hand-dyed wool and silk, handmade felt; hand and machine knitting, hand-weaving, quilting and embroideryCloak for a Shaman — Celia de VilliersCloak for a Shaman2008 · Mixed media — natural and synthetic yarns and fabrics, hand-dyed wool and silk, handmade felt; hand and machine knitting, felting, hand-weaving, hand and machine quilting and embroideryAquatic Insurrection — Celia de VilliersAquatic Insurrectionc. 2015–2020 · Resin casting & laser-cut stainless steel — suspended aquatic creatures; installation, dimensions variable (each creature W 36 × H 18 × L 18 cm)Litany — Celia de VilliersLitanyc. 2015–2020 · Hand-dyed commercial, organic and synthetic textiles and yarns — hand-weaving, knitting and felting; hand and machine embroidery; rusted 19th-century pressed-ceiling panels, wire and PET plastic. W 300 × H 200 × D 200 cmThe Big 6 — Celia de VilliersThe Big 62001 · Embossed leather, collaged textile, heat-screened newsprint & machine embroidery; five suspended life-size figuresRe-rooting — Celia de VilliersRe-rooting2021 · Cement bag, denim, chiffon & guipure laceRegeneration — Celia de VilliersRegenerationc. 1998 · Giraffe & hippo bone, bandages, threads & drawings on silkLichenipolystoechotes — Celia de VilliersLichenipolystoechotes2022 · Eco-dyed wool & fibre, stitch; installationLove Potion — Celia de VilliersLove Potion2022 · Embroidery & textile; each heart 15 × 10 cmOrchidelirium and Other Obsessions — Celia de VilliersOrchidelirium and Other Obsessions2024 · Eco-dyed wool, felt, embroidery & fibre
 
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