Tsila Goldstein presents a series of works originating from a collection of lace napkins, which undergo a transformation under the printing press into fabric plates and embossed lace patterns.
Old, soft, and well-used napkins are folded and compressed, creating new textured surfaces that reveal themselves as reliefs when covered in printing ink. These folded napkins are turned into fabric stamps, leaving their imprints on other napkins or print paper. Lace and embroidery also appear as motifs, hand drawn and etched into copper plates and printed onto the fabric. At times, a delicate line of simple embroidery adds a final touch.
In recent works, house silhouettes have been introduced – evoking echoes of a generic home or the impression of a collapsing structure etched onto the fabric.
Lace napkins and handkerchiefs are intimate, personal items often associated with femininity, sentimentality, and the absorption of tears. In many traditions, such items were given as part of a dowry, passed from one woman to another upon marriage. Women often embroidered their initials onto these items for themselves, their daughters, or granddaughters, creating a symbolic connection between the giver and receiver.
Modernist perspectives relegated traditional crafts to the realms of hobby and decoration. Through her creative process, Tsila recreates lace as printed imagery and napkins as stamps, elevating them into autonomous works of art. This shift transports the napkin, once laden with functional or nostalgic meaning, into the realm of contemporary art.
The sealed napkins encapsulate, within their folds, the life stories of these objects, preserving the narratives of women hidden behind lace curtains and embroidered flowers. Like X-ray images or mirror reflections, the sealed napkins whisper and reveal a shared story, weaving connections between one and another.
בר יוחאי 5, תל אביב
מיקוד 6655622
ב’, ג’, ד’ 10:00-16:00
ה’ 11:00-18:00
ב’, ג’, ד’ 10:00-16:00
ה’ 11:00-18:00
ו’, שבת 10:00-14:00
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