Ulla-Stina Wikander appropriates cross-stitched embroideries, turning old fashioned textiles into modern pieces of art. Since 2012, Wikander has been covering household items, such as toasters and telephones, in vintage embroideries. The new, custom, items have an air of nostalgia about them, but with humorous underlining.
“I find it interesting to see how these objects transform in a new context,” writes Wikander in her website; “the obsolete, the things we do not want any longer, the old and forgotten things. They become artifacts from a bygone era, disguised, camouflaged and dressed. I give them a second life and although I cut the embroideries into pieces, I think they look very beautiful when they have been ‘dressed up.’”
Among the items she “dresses up” are a ’70s vacuum cleaner and sewing machine. The work itself takes between a day or two for smaller objects to weeks for bigger installations. And the embroideries themselves are bought in flea markets and second-hand stores.
“I definitely have some favorite patterns and colors, but I buy all the embroideries I find because sometimes I need to cover parts that you hardly see,” she shared with My Modern Met. “Red cottages and birches, flowers, deer, and moose pattern and nature motifs are the ones I like best. If the colors are brilliant and they are well made, I like them even better.”
Here are some highlights from her Instagram page:
