Robin, we have loved spending so much time with you! We always love when locals join us for a residency and your painted warp looks incredible. 

Weaving on: Collin
Joining us from: Greenville NC, and Cleveland OH

Tell us about yourself and what led you to the residency?

Being a native Clevelander and a textile artist, I was very excited when Praxis opened. When they decided to expand and create the Digital Weaving Lab, I couldn't wait to be a part of this artistic community. I have been waiting for the opportunity to be a resident artist at Praxis, and my time has finally come! 

Have you had any previous experience with Digital Weaving or Jacquard?

I have been weaving on a TC1/2 since I started graduate school at Kent State University in 2002. I have been teaching digital design and weaving on the TC2 at East Carolina University since 2009 where I am a Professor in the Textile Design program.

Any goals for the residency you'd like to share?

My goal is to produce three large weavings that are part of a larger body work titled "Materiality as Grief." A dichotomy of materials and techniques will be used to represent both the tangible/physical and the psychological aspects associated with the experience of loss. I will explore the abstraction of photographic imagery through color and woven structure to symbolize the distorting effects of grief. 

Connect with Robin via instagram @robinhaller, Website: ​RobinHallerArt.com, [email protected]​

River we loved seeing the process of your work! The woven shibori was so detailed and exciting to see bundled up.

Weaving on: Lou
Joining us from: Durham, NC

Tell us about yourself and what led you to the residency?

I work with natural fibers, dyes, and collected objects through weaving, knitting, nalbinding, or quilting to share stories about the interconnections between my relationships to people, dye plants, fiber plants/animals, and nature. 

Have you had any previous experience with Digital Weaving or Jacquard?

I learned how to weave on a TC2 last year at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Any goals for the residency you'd like to share?

I am eager to continue exploring woven shibori and using double cloth as a method to make wider, lighter cloth and play with mirroring. Additionally, I am exited to use a linen warp that I dyed with pomegranate skins, pecan hulls, and black walnuts collected in North Carolina.

Connect with River via instagram @riverchilcott, Website: riverchilcott.com

Amir, it was great to have you here at Praxis! We loved seeing your yarn combinations and the intricate weavings you created with so many colors!

Weaving on: Collin
Joining us from: Philadelphia, PA

Tell us about yourself and what led you to the residency?

I learned how to use the TC-2 in undergrad and was having dreams about it so I decided to apply for the residency. I'm really interested in tapestry and weaving, but I haven't dedicated as much time to it as I have wanted so this allows me to experiment in a way I don't have space for usually. I tried to export weavings to manufacturers but there is a haptic quality to the TC-2 weaving

Have you had any previous experience with Digital Weaving or Jacquard?

Yes! I took a (pilot) class on it at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and I used it one more time since then. 

Any goals for the residency you'd like to share?

I have many illustrations/drawings that I've wanted to translate to weavings for awhile so my goal is to produce everything. I love the noise and texture created by weaving. I also just love woven imagery. I want to make larger work because previous looms I used had time restraints that limited possibilities for larger work.

Connect with Amir via instagram @amir.khadar, Website: ​www.amirkhadar.com