Philine Vanrafelghem

Architect and art theorist Gottfried Semper (1803 - 1879) believed that the origin of architecture (initially a place of shelter and protection) could be connected to the utility of textile (humankind wore clothes as a means of protection). According to his 'principle of coverage', the woven carpet was used as a floor or hung up to function as a wall. Horizontal and vertical patterns in Vanrafelghem's work refer to fabric, tissue, windows, stone facades, and curtains. The patterns shift in a subtle manner, the result of a thorough process of sketching on tracing paper. Different maps and patterns are layered on top of each other. This way, textile and architecture coincide and intertwine creating a distinct vocabulary. This vocabulary is used by the artist to explore and question the boundaries of representation. Vanrafelghem emphasizes shape, color, and the surface of the canvas, as her transparent way of painting gives the untreated cotton canvas a decisive role in the image. She presents her paintings by draping them, rolling them up and folding them. By doing so, they are brought into a new relationship with their surrounding space.