Textile artist Pamela Abad is from Ecuador and her latest weaving combines simple graphic patterns and shapes with bold colours. It is influenced by folklore and superstition and she is “particularly interested in the role these play in Ecuadorian society and her own identity and well being.”

Firstly where did you grow up and where do you live now? 

I grew up in Cuenca, Ecuador, where I am based at the moment. I lived in London for three years when I studied and moved back to Ecuador in 2017. Hopefully I’ll move back to England at some point this year. 

What is your background in textiles?

I studied photography at the University of Arts London and I am self taught for textiles. I have been drawn to textiles since I was a little, playing with yarn is even in my earliest memories. I saw all the women around me knitting, crocheting, embroidering and cross-stitching, also my father was a painter—this environment had a great influence on me. Throughout the years I have learned different techniques, weaving being the latest one (I would like to learn many more). Although, it is important to note that I did have help understanding the mechanism of a floor loom and setting it up, I would have had a hard time figuring it out by myself. 

You also do photography and film making, what is it about textiles as an art form that appeals to you? 

Creating textiles is a laborious, time consuming craft that naturally resists the speed of modern life. This slower pace is an aspect that I appreciate very much. Image making, on the contrary, can be done at incredible speed—in avalanches. Certainly, not all aspects of image making are fast, I refer specifically to the masses of images that we see everyday, at all times, among them the ordinary, terrible and beautiful. This has often caused me anxiety and my process of image making has changed dramatically. Although, I like using all these different approaches—textiles, photography, video, etc—to explore my subjects of interest from different angles, and I don’t really see a separation from my textile work and my photographic or video work, they are part of a whole. 

You specialise in weaving, what type of loom or frame do you use and why? 

I use a 4 harness floor loom. Up until now I have mainly worked with weft faced fabrics in plain weave and explored some inlay techniques—a 4 harness loom works great for this and speeds up the process. I find there is something incredibly special about working on a floor loom—its history, size, complexity and mechanism. 

How do you describe your work? 

I am intrigued by folklore and superstition and I explore these interests through what I create. I am particularly interested in the role these play in Ecuadorian society and my own identity and well being. Superstition exists in part as a way for humans to cope with the uncertainties of this chaotic world, it is an honest and complex endeavor. Weaving, and textiles in general, are surrounded by superstitions and myths. 

In the textile pieces I create I am interested in conveying meaning through simple lines and shapes—my sketching abilities are pretty basic, so my designs are very simple as well. I draw inspiration from cave paintings and rupestrian art, grimoires, and symbolism. I am really drawn to anything that has to do with pre-logical thinking, the supernatural, mythology, divination and so on. My work is the relationship I create with my surroundings and an attempt to express and understand the beliefs and worldview of the place I grew up in. 

How do you create a piece? 

I do many different things to get to a design. I have a sketchbook with drawings and collages, and I find photoshop incredibly useful—I can layer and transform my initial simple ideas and drawings into something more complex. I sometimes start a design based on a photograph I have taken or an animation. I try to be as resourceful as I can. 

I know this is a hard question but how long does a bigger piece take? 

It depends on the design, the biggest piece I have woven took me around a month and a half or so, the design was simple though. I wish I had a bigger loom, weaving larger pieces is one of my goals this year. 

What are you most proud of in your art career so far? 

My artistic career was paused for a few years as I was struggling psychologically and felt like giving up. I am proud that I have been capable of overcoming this. Now I have a constant flow of creative energy and I am really excited for what’s to come. 

Do you have any advice for aspiring textile artists? 

Two things: to be persistent and patient. 

https://www.pamelaabadvega.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/pamelabad/