Meet artist, designer and concept developer Anne Kari!

March 9, 2022

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1522

As a part of our “What’s on Your Loom” series, we’re featuring the works of Norway-based Anne Kari Ødegård. Anne Kari works cross-media as an artist, designer and concept developer. During the lockdown, she started the home based micro-weaving mill PRYD. Anne Kari tells us all about her journey as a weaver…

A craftsman mother and designer daughter join over the TC2 loom in Oslo
I had day-dreamed of owning a TC2 loom for some time. When my mother volunteered as a co-owner, the loom became real! The micro-mill PRYD (meaning decorate) was established in the autumn of 2021. The product line of PRYD continues the old tradition of handcrafted decorative textiles for interiors. On a linen warp, the ornaments are woven into tapestries, pillows and runners with the use of natural and sustainable materials. For me, a hand-woven textile represents human presence and visions, tradition and sustainability. As a designer I am humble towards the rich heritage that we build upon.

Diligent women
Growing up, I was surrounded by diligent and competent women. Mothers and grandmothers, aunts and cousins would spin, weave, sew, crochet, embroider and knit for utilitarian and esthetic endeavors. I presumed that these skills were something every girl and woman had grown up with: Women’s work has always been taken for granted. Only lately have I realized what a huge contribution this makes to our cultural history, as well as to our surroundings, homes and lives. As a tribute, PRYD presents a collection of ornamental tapestries and runners named after these tireless and selfless women in my family!

My mother Keet Ivy Ødegård was born in 1934 on a small fishing farm in the north of Norway. While her father was away on winter fishing, her mother ran the farm and everything that went with it. Part of everyday life was production of textiles. Keet Ivy and her sister were trained and put to work from an early age. She has since taken a formal weaving education and has been active in handicrafts throughout a long life. Even today she knits traditional Setesdal mittens for sale. I am planning to join her at the local market place this spring, with a collection of VOTTROS pillows, with Setesdal patterns woven in the technique broken twill. Materials used are wool weft on a linen warp.

I was trained by my mother. My angle was always the creative possibilities. The limitations within the different handicrafts make for interesting challenges, and I love to make the most of the circumstances! Therefore, I am happy to work with the smallest, 1-Wide loom. I adore my TC2 loom, and am grateful to Vibeke Vestby for giving me a quick-course in basic weaving techniques as well as helping me find my way with PRYD. On May 10th 2022, my TC2-loom and I will celebrate our first anniversary, launching a new website with the current product range of PRYD.

Art weavings
Lately, I have explored transferring some of my own art and drawings to textiles: The portrait «Now or Never» of my niece Hulda, is recently purchased by ‘Art in School’ (Kunstiskolen.no) as part of a traveling exhibition showing traditional and contemporary weaving for schools in Norway.

About…

Anne Kari weaves her own designs and also vintage ornamentation meant for use in modern interiors. She was unskilled as a weaver when she bought the TC2 loom. Supported by her craftswoman mother and kickstarted by Vibeke Vestby at Tronrud Engineering, her prototypes of Arvesølv-pillows were nominated and exhibited for the Handicraft+ «Ornamentation» award in 2021 (pictures below). The work consists of five themes that refer to the cultural heritage of known and unknown artists, poets and musicians.