Many of the artists in the Norway House exhibit, “The Baldishol: A Medieval Tapestry Inspires Contemporary Textiles,” participate frequently in group shows. Some shows fade from memory–what year was that? What gallery was that? But this show, and this year of pandemic and protest? It is guaranteed that not one of the 26 artists will ever forget this experience.
Kala Exworthy had another reason that her piece for the exhibit was memorable. She purchased a Swedish, 20-shaft Öxabäck loom last winter, and her cowl made of hand-woven wool was her inaugural project. Even though she has been weaving since she studied at Skiringssal Folkehøyskole in Sandefjord, Norway, in 1980, it’s a big learning curve to become comfortable with a new loom.
Kala now shares a weaving studio in the Northrup King Building of Northeast Minneapolis where inspiration covers the walls in the form of threads, books, dyes and samples.
She set up a beautiful and complex snowflake pattern. Here is her experiment with a colored wool weft.
The snowflake pattern was perfect for her Baldishol concept, “Snowflake Cape for the Imagined Baldishol Woman of January.” She wrote,
My piece is a women’s embroidered, handwoven wool cowl. Women of this era had a certain strength and would have been included in the original Baldishol calendar. To illustrate the month of January, I’ve chosen to create a warm, natural wool cowl woven with the snowflakes of winter and embellished with the warmth of embroidery to indicate status and creativity in life. The woman who wears the cowl could be carrying a basket or a spear. Such is the complexity of women throughout time.
Time was running short while Kala was weaving, but she was determined. Look at all the treadles at the base of the Öxabäck. The treadles were close together; the weaving hours were long. Ouch! Her feet began to chafe. Perhaps Kala is the only Baldishol artist whose piece required working through injury? She wrapped her feet in gauze and wove on.
Kala expressed a bit of disappointment that the snowflake pattern was not so prominent in her finished fabric. But the placement of her piece in the Baldishol exhibit proves her wrong– the sun streaming from behind enhances the pattern of the luxurious fabric. This would be a high-status item for the woman of the 12th century who wore such a cowl.
Kala was embroidering in blue the weekend before installation of the exhibit; it’s a good thing she lives only ten minutes from Norway House! For sure, this will be a memorable exhibit in Kala’s weaving career, and a memorable piece for all those who get the chance to see it.