Selected works from Kozlovič’s Fountain Pen series speak of pause and reflection, slowness and constancy, and of passage of time in relationship to different materials. Time is perceived as an available but limited resource. The drawn lines and stitches act as a unit of measurement and the progression and subsequent stratification of the textures on the canvas quantify what has passed while creating something new. The extended temporal dimension that is needed for the realization of these works acts as a container of experiences, inspiration and impulses lived over time that influence the creative process.
Moving between media, Kozlovič reflects on the history of embroidery in the Western world and the gendered discourses around it. To Kozlovič, embroidery has a unique quality, as a large part of the executive process can be read on the back of the canvas, where a registry of the progress, second thoughts, errors and solutions can be observed. While the front shows the explicit, the back shows the implicit, a parallel story to the one you are meant to see.
Photo: Maša Pirc / BIEN and Jaka Babnik
Varka Kozlovič lives and works between Butari (SI), Trieste (IT), and Copenhagen (DK), where she currently resides. She studied at the University of Trieste (IT) and University of Sussex (UK), travelled extensively in Asia, and worked professionally in international development. She draws inspiration from different cultures and traditional handicrafts. Her abstract drawings with embroidery use a range of materials and embody her love of texture and color. She is inspired by repetitive patterns in nature and urban environments. She is a member of Danish Women Artists Association.
