studio orimi

A seemingly insubstantial silk threadCarefully folded pleatsOpen-weave fabricA breath of wind brings movementto the fragile scene.Playfully, in greyscale,the sun reflects the curved lines on the wall. In her Antwerp studio, Mieke Smet creates understated sculptures with textiles, metal mesh and paper. She often utilises materials that already have a story, and in her work seeks out a further episode in that narrative. She portrays the vulnerability of every living organism and the inevitable decay engendered by the passing of time. This she achieves by manipulating the material to create something akin to permanent and controlled scarring. She is the astonished witness to the way in which a surface comes to life as a result of meticulous and protracted actions. This is how she structures the world and her thoughts – both often chaotic – through the power of repetition.

how it started

"As a little girl I sat at the table where my mother used to cut fabric to make elegant dresses. My ‘fiber art’ seed was planted but it didn’t grow until a later stage in my life. I then decided to explore Textile Arts at the Academy in Sint-Niklaas (Belgium). Origami was my starting point and meanwhile, I've developed my own folding code and transform textiles, metals and paper into moving sculptures." "Als kind zat ik vaak aan tafel bij m'n moeder die de schaar zette in stofjes om er zwierige jurken van te maken. Daar werd een ‘vezelig’ zaadje geplant dat pas later in mijn leven begon te kiemen. Na een studie ‘Textiele Kunsten’ aan de Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten in Sint-Niklaas met origami als startpunt, heb ik ondertussen een eigen vouwcode ontwikkeld. Ik  transformeer textiel, metaal en papier in bewegende sculpturen."