Lourdes Elizalde – The Memory of Nature

A tapestry weaver since 2003, Lourdes feels very attracted to many aspects of the art of tapestry. Its tactile qualities that connect us directly with our skin, the slow progression of tapestry weaving that ties her to the present moment, the physical contact with the materials and the beauty of the repeated gesture that leads her to a state of contemplation and reflection when experimenting with colours, shapes and textures. There is always a personal transformation in this combination of search, spontaneity, time and the projected idea as creative expression. It is a slow job in its realization that demands maximum attention and a challenge in these times of hurry and search for quick gratifications.

Her tapestries are a reflection of that which has the power to move her soul, often related to the evolution of human beings (not to say involution in these hard times we are living in) and its relationship with the nature we come from. With her work Lourdes wants to express her own interpretation of the world and reality that surrounds her, so that her feelings can find their way searching for balance and presence. Light has an important role in every aspect of her weaving, so her search for light is reflected in her work; this is how inert material comes to life through creative energy.

Lourdes works on a high-warp loom, usually in medium and large format using wool, cotton, and sometimes, silk threads and copper wires. The Memory of Nature series is inspired by the remarkable geology around her in Basque Country, together with her interest and concern for what human beings are doing with Mother Nature. When walking through those beautiful sandstone rock landscapes, she sees the transformation they experience under the effect of light, climate changes, erosion, damage, the passage of time and their own regeneration that make material sculpt itself.