Dagmar Stap is a textile artist from Groningen. In her work she turns everyday food packaging, receipts and other seemingly ordinary images into tangible textile art.
Crafts were present early in Dagmar's life. Her mother worked a lot with textiles and at school Dagmar discovered how nice it is to keep trying out a new technique. During her illustration training, she often painted food packaging. When she started looking for a way of working with more structure a…
Packaging is everywhere, but unknown products in particular attract her attention. In the store, Dagmar sees colors, languages and ingredients that she does not encounter every day. That is precisely what makes packaging an exciting image for her to translate stitch by stitch.
Dagmar does not work according to a fixed recipe book. The packaging determines which stitches and proportions are needed: sometimes large and graphic, sometimes small, busy and almost kitschy. Color is always an important guideline, but her approach remains deliberately open and investigative.
A package is designed to protect something and then disappear. Dagmar gets that speed out of the object. By slowly embroidering the image, the volatile plastic is given skin, relief and time. This makes it visible how many design choices are already in such an everyday object.
For additional context, here are two reliable articles: It's Nice That about Dagmar Stap and Kunstpunt Groningen in Dagmar's studio.
A small, well-filled embroidery box is indispensable for Dagmar. With needles, scissors, leftover thread, a seam ripper and the colors for her current work, everything stays together and she can continue immediately.
Start with something you would like to make yourself. With a piece of cloth, a embroidery hoop, yarn and a needle goes a long way. Try, see what works and let your idea be the starting point.
Crafts were present early in Dagmar's life. Her mother worked a lot with textiles and at school Dagmar discovered how nice it is to keep trying out a new technique. During her illustration training, she often painted food packaging. When she started looking for a way of working with more structure a…
Packaging is everywhere, but unknown products in particular attract her attention. In the store, Dagmar sees colors, languages and ingredients that she does not encounter every day. That is precisely what makes packaging an exciting image for her to translate stitch by stitch.
Dagmar does not work according to a fixed recipe book. The packaging determines which stitches and proportions are needed: sometimes large and graphic, sometimes small, busy and almost kitschy. Color is always an important guideline, but her approach remains deliberately open and investigative.
A package is designed to protect something and then disappear. Dagmar gets that speed out of the object. By slowly embroidering the image, the volatile plastic is given skin, relief and time. This makes it visible how many design choices are already in such an everyday object.
For additional context, here are two reliable articles: It's Nice That about Dagmar Stap and Kunstpunt Groningen in Dagmar's studio.
A small, well-filled embroidery box is indispensable for Dagmar. With needles, scissors, leftover thread, a seam ripper and the colors for her current work, everything stays together and she can continue immediately.
Start with something you would like to make yourself. With a piece of cloth, a embroidery hoop, yarn and a needle goes a long way. Try, see what works and let your idea be the starting point.