« Textiles are a universal language. In all cultures around the world, textiles play an essential and crucial role ». Sheila Hicks
Fascinated by ancient textile cultures—particularly the weaving techniques of pre-Columbian civilizations—Sheila Hicks draws inspiration from their forms, materials, and sensuality to create works that defy conventional categorization. The artist enjoys challenging the boundaries between the visual arts, crafts, and design; in her view, the language of threads is universal and serves as a link between people and cultures. She always takes into account the specific characteristics of the venue where she exhibits, which makes her creations unique.
« I create environments, craft objects out of thread, build flexible sculptures and bas-reliefs, and design and make functional objects from thread. I often express my feelings by using them as my language ». Sheila Hicks
Created using threads of every color, Sheila Hicks’s works play with the form and materiality of the fiber. Oscillating between weightlessness and sensuality, they blur spatial boundaries and embody a value dear to the artist, who claims the word “Freedom” as her middle name.
Designed specifically for the atrium space, this site-specific artwork establishes a dialogue with the volumes, light, and architecture of the Palais des Beaux-Arts, as well as with the history of Lille and northern France. A commercial hub since its founding and a manufacturing center since the 16th century, Lille flourished in the 19th century thanks to its textile and mechanical industries. Even today, the textile industry holds a special place in this region.
BIOGRAPHIE
Sheila Hicks was born in 1934 in Hastings, Nebraska (United States). A graduate of the Yale School of Art, where she studied painting, photography, and sculpture, she chose pre-Columbian textiles as the subject of her thesis. After living in Guerrero, Mexico, from 1960 to 1964, she moved to Paris, where she has lived and worked ever since. Her work is now recognized worldwide.
COMMISSAIRES DE L'EXPOSITION
Juliette Singer, Director of the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille and the Musée de l’Hospice Comtesse
Julia Garimorth, Curator in chief at the Museum of Modern Art of the city of Paris
