Anne Stabell

1958 –

Artist Statement

My artwork is about connecting threads and making images grow. I like the slowness of tapestry weaving, building images from “nothing”, using just threads and dye and space. And I like the possibility of allowing open spaces and different materials to be a part of the image I make.
Nature has always been my main inspiration. I am particularly interested in the changes and cycles of nature and human beings, and try to make textile artworks witch communicate the feeling of being a part of the universe.
These words about my exhibition project Slowly Through the Woods describes it quite well:
Anne Stabell’s exhibition comprises a series of woven tapestries from wool and nylon. The weft threads weave through coloured warp to create transparent, woven pictures of nature. With these time-consuming techniques Anne Stabell wants the tapestries to appear alive. The forestry motif in the exhibition title is based on the German concept of Waldeinsamkeit, which describes a specific feeling when you are alone in the forest and experience a sense of oneness with it. The word has its origin in the Romantic era in the first half of the 19th century, and is used in both German and English poetry.
Moreover, nature itself is literally present through the yarn which has been coloured with dyes from plants collected on journeys in familiar and unfamiliar landscapes.

Artist Biography

Anne Stabell, born 1958, is living in Porsgrunn, Norway, and partly in Husum, Germany. She is educated at National College of Arts and Crafts in Oslo 1979-83, and worked many years as stage- and costume designer for theater. Since 1993 she has been working as textile artist. Anne Stabell has participated in many international exhibitions, among them are the European ARTAPESTRY 2, 3 and 4; Kauno Biennale TEXTILE09 Lithuania; From Lausanne to Beijing Biennale in China (four times – 2002, 04, 06, 08)  received a bronze prize for her artwork in 2008; International Fiber Art Triennial in Tournai, Belgium 2005, American Tapestry Biennial 5 (2004-05) and World Tapestry Now: ATB-12 in 2018, where she was honored with the second prize. She was represented at the Cordis Prize for Tapestry in Edinburgh 2019 and 2021.