Lizet van der Knaap (1991, The Netherlands) is a Rotterdam-based textile artist creating hand-embroidered artworks inspired by colour, emotions, and personal experiences.
Through contemporary textile art, she explores the relationship between colour, form, texture, and feeling, creating compositions that invite moments of stillness and reflection.
From Fashion to Textile Art
My creative journey began in fashion. During my studies in Textile Design at the Willem de Kooning Academy, my initial focus was on creating clothing.
As I gained more experience, I became increasingly aware of the challenges within the fashion industry, particularly overproduction and its impact on both people and the environment. I began to question what it means to create something truly valuable in a world already filled with excess.
This search led me beyond fashion and towards the possibilities of textiles as an artistic medium.
What fascinates me about textiles is their ability to transform. A simple thread or piece of fabric can evolve into something vibrant, tactile, and expressive.
Through embroidery, I build my compositions stitch by stitch, with colour, form, and texture playing a central role. The slow and attentive nature of the process provides a counterbalance to the pace of everyday life.
The tactile quality of embroidery invites viewers not only to look, but almost to physically experience the work.
Colour, Form and Intuition
Colour plays a central role in my work. I seek combinations that feel both harmonious and unexpected. Each shape gains meaning through its relationship with the others, while negative space is equally important.
The dialogue between form and empty space creates balance and room to breathe, resulting in a visually harmonious whole.
My compositions are largely developed intuitively and often originate from memories, emotions, and personal experiences rather than direct representations of reality.
Through my practice, I explore how colour, material, and abstraction can evoke emotion and create atmosphere.
Ultimately, I aim to create contemporary textile artworks that encourage a slower pace of looking, offering moments of calm in which visual beauty can be experienced and appreciated.