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We
Nitna
2023.12.27 - 2024.01.24
Gallery SIL
Nitna
Hi! I’m Nitna, and I specialize in installation artwork based on hand knitting.
Instead of neat and precise knitting I freely combine various knitting and crochet techniques approach steering clear of rigid forms or patterns. I make small pieces, connecting them with yarn, and either develop them into a single form or arrange the pieces separately, aiming to unravel the story of “relationships”. Through my work, I strive for a warm world where nothing is the same, where people eventually come together, build connections, and live harmoniously, supporting each other along the way.
The installation work, centering around small knitted pieces and a wrapped soban (a portable dining table), visually expresses a narrative that has been on my mind for quite some time.
When we meet someone, connections are formed over shared meals and drinks. In this sense, the small table (soban), becomes a humble setting where eating and drinking have taken place since ancient times. Gathered around this table, we share various stories and quietly connect with each other. Despite having lived different lives and being diverse in both internal and external aspects, we still forge meaningful relationships.
The traditional soban is not perfectly dimensioned because it is hand-carved, not machine-made. The diameter of the top circular plate, the delicate shape of the legs, and the part connecting the plate and legs - none of these elements cannot be perfectly identical due to the manual crafting process.
Mistakes may occur during carving. However, instead of starting anew, the approach involves gradual enhancement and modification, making adjustments step by step until completion. Though not flawless, observing a soban crafted in this manner imparts a sense of handcrafted charm, allowing one to appreciate the comfortable and simple beauty of traditional Korean design.
The knitted pieces, too, lack a perfectly defined shape with their protruding strands, diverse shapes, and even holes in some.
They may be unpolished, slightly imperfect in places, with stitches that do not always align perfectly. Nevertheless, in the end, these pieces come together, wrapping the soban in a cozy manner.
I believe our relationships are akin to these knitted pieces and the soban. While there mat be ideally perfect encounters and relationships, it is challenging for all of us to be alike because we are human. We have our own edges, share tears and laughter, and communicate.
In this way, we forge and sustain relationships.
The small pieces in the artwork symnolize individual people. With their distinct colors, structured forms and various knitting techniques, these pieces, much like the nature of yarn strands, cozily wrap around and shape the soban.
I hope this artwork serves as a warm embrace for you during the cold winter, bringing healing and laughter to those with heavy hearts. Stay strong!
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