The art of painting with fabrics
The story of a Belarusian woman who created a unique decorative style — Faberge textiles
Lyubov Kirillova has been working with fabrics for over 40 years. She started out as a successful clothing designer, then decided to expand her creative space. Now her artistic panels can be seen on almost all continents. In Belarus, the works of Lyubov Kirillova are exhibited in many places; they are selected for exhibitions and as official gifts on behalf of the country. What is the artist’s professional secret, how easy it is to work with fabrics and how linen allows one to convey national character, we learned in Kirillova’s workshop.
Fairy tales, folk traditions and synthesis of styles
A beautiful, stylishly dressed woman smiles warmly at us from the doorway. In the room there is a huge cutting table, cabinets, on the shelves of which there are pieces of fabric of various colours and patterns, and, of course, finished works. They cause amazement: how is it possible to create such rich, voluminous and soul-stirring works from ordinary textiles?
The craftswoman recalls that while studying at art school, fairy tales became a source of inspiration for her: The Mistress of the Copper Mountain, The Scarlet Flower, Cipollino.
“Already as an adult, when creating a description of The Scarlet Flower, I realised that it is our Paparats-kvetka. After all, it was brought far away, and it is Paparats-kvetka that blooms red once a year,” Lyubov Kirillova notes. In addition to fairy tales, she is inspired by the works of the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, one of the founders of the art nouveau style. Well, and of course, folk motifs and traditions of Belarusian weaving — the same Slutsk belts — have a huge influence on creativity.
The artist also came up with the definition of her own creativity herself — the author’s decorative style, or textile Faberge. It may sound somewhat immodest, but you need to compare yourself with someone so that the viewer understands what the work is like in terms of execution and content.
“In addition, such a comparison sets a very high bar and forces continuous improvement,” says the craftswoman. Her signature technique was developed for a long time, bit by bit, until a unique handwriting began to be discerned in it. “The main thing is to believe in yourself, and then the result will come,” Lyubov Kirillova says.
It takes 3–4 months for metre-sized works
She calls fabrics her paints, because it is with linen, brocade, velvet and satin that the artist ‘paints’ her paintings. Each of her works begins with a life-size sketch on cardboard. Only then does the selection of material begin. “There are hundreds of types of fabric at hand, but you need to choose a maximum of ten, or even less. At the same time, one fabric should work with another. This play of texture is the most interesting thing. When different fabrics are mixed in the work, a new material is obtained, and it often seems that it is not fabric. At exhibitions, many people touch the panels with their hands to understand what they are made of. Maybe ceramics or metal?” our heroine explains.
A huge amount of work goes into each composition in the Faberge textile style. It takes three to four months for metre-sized works, and six months for larger ones. Moreover, Lyubov Kirillova fundamentally does not work on several panels simultaneously.
“I live my work. It is impossible to do several jobs at once technologically and emotionally. When you work on a piece for months, it’s impossible not to love it. That’s why I don’t have any passable jobs — all are complex and favourite,” explains the craftswoman.
Exhibition at the Palace of Independence is a very responsible event
Works by Lyubov Kirillova are in collections in Austria, Germany, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, USA, Finland and other countries. But the artist calls the recent exhibition at the Palace of Independence a gift from heaven, “We managed to present a wonderful collection of 34 seats. Exhibiting at the Palace of Independence is very responsible. All the country’s leadership, high-ranking guests and diplomats are there. For an artist this is a shock in a good way.”
The panel of the interlocutor can also be seen in the registry office of the Oktyabrsky District of the capital, in the Supreme Court, in the gallery of the President Hotel.
Kirillova’s Eden panel was placed in the lower hall of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Minsk. On a wide semi-column next to the baptistery there is a huge canvas 220 cm by 350 cm.
“Eden took almost two years of work. The plot is taken from a biblical legend. I depicted the Garden of Eden, where the tree of life grows, using the infinity symbol, with which the vines are intertwined. There are also birds and cherubs, they fly around the monogram of the name of Christ — the centre of the composition,” says Lyubov Kirillova.
In the main secular hall of the nearby Memorial Church in honour of All Saints there are several more works by Lyubov Kirillova. Including the diptych Valoshki [Cornflowers].
“Valoshki personify our native Belarusian nature, they seem to depict a path along a field where cornflowers, daisies, forget-me-nots, and bells grow,” the craftswoman says.
“It seems to me that it depends on the mentality of Belarusians. We are calm, we love peace, silence, nature and our country. All this is reflected in the works. Of course, social issues also concern artists, but my deepest goal is to bring love, beauty and a positive charge of energy so that creativity inspires. Otherwise, why create then? If you don’t work for the joy of others, the meaning is lost,” Lyubov Kirillova summed up.
