Iceland review - 2019, Qupperneq 54

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Iceland Review
Loji Höskuldsson’s
playing field is the
brown canvas of
embroidery. Entering
a traditional, almost
archaic artform, he
has wasted no time
in breaking down its
boundaries. Many of
Loji’s works feature a nostalgic and often humorous
approach, depicting a refreshing take on everyday
life. Historically, embroidery has been all about fol-
lowing a set pattern, and tradition runs deep. Loji’s
refreshing take on the classic craft has struck a
chord, and his works have quickly become a prized
commodity in the Icelandic art world.
Taking on tradition
“Interest in embroidery is far from given,” Loji tells
me. “There’s a rich tradition, where folks follow
patterns most of the time. You’ll see it at your grand-
parents’ house – embroidered chairs which are not
to be sat on. There’s a certain distance between
our generation and the embroidery of the past.”
Loji wants to take the art form in a new direction. “I
thrive in that: entering a staid world, and completely
blowing the frame. Not really following the rules.
Letting myself commit mistakes, and not following
the same trail as all the others.” One example of
this approach is a row of tulips embroidered by Loji,
where his work steadily got better with each flower.
The improvement can be witnessed, tulip to tulip.
Rather than unravelling the work, which is always an
enticing thought when sewing, he let them be, chal-
lenging the status quo of crafts, where the demand
for perfection can stifle creativity. “Embroidery
has to be ‘done right.’ But does it really? It can also
include mistakes and be playful.”
Loji’s works are often minimalistic, and the bur-
lap he uses as a base is as much a part of the finished
work as the coloured
thread. “I think it’s
incredibly appealing,
the coarse base mate-
rial versus the fine floss.
With embroidery, peo-
ple often want to cover
the whole canvas. To
me, the natural brown
colour shining through is so pretty. But I believe it’s
interesting to let the surface breathe. I just want to
let the sewing flow through it.”
Right hand woman
In 2010, newly graduated from the Iceland
University of the Arts, Loji was introduced to
embroidery by his mother. “There was a moment
when my mother handed me a tapestry needle,
which looks a bit like a whisk. You thread the nee-
dle and then you just turn it like you’re whipping
cream. In that moment all the art I had imagined
in my head turned into embroidery. I realised that
I could embroider paintings. It was so exciting to
find a medium where I could experiment with new
things. Painting is a well-trodden path, but embroi-
dery was a completely uncharted medium for me
personally.” An amateur seamstress, Loji’s mother
is always ready to help when needed. “If I need more
weapons in my arsenal, I head to our Pinterest con-
versation where she’s constantly sending me new
stitching techniques. It’s my personal sketchbook.”
I ask Loji if he considers the medium to be a
statement in itself. “That’s inevitable, even though
I don’t place emphasis on it. I admit that there are a
thousand people that paint paintings while there’s
maybe four that embroider. I’m doing something
different than all of the rest, inevitably,” Loji pon-
ders. Undeniably, embroidery is often viewed as a
woman’s craft. “Then there’s always this question
that pops up – how come you’re a guy and you’re