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Delicate Hand-Sewn Lace Figures are Harmoniously Fused to Real Pieces of Found Wood

Contemporary Lace Art

Hungarian artist Ágnes Herczeg combines delicate lace art with the knotty branches of found wood to create scenes depicting the contemplative beauty of humanity. The intricate portraits showcase women as they recline, sleep, and gaze into an infinite abyss. Often, the wood is an anchor for their activities; it’s a place where the characters rest their bodies, or the floor on which they stand. Herczeg also uses it as a striking visual juxtaposition—the looseness of the lace and the solidity of the wood is at odds, but they are harmonious when linked together.

Herczeg’s lace sculptures are created using traditional techniques. “I have extensively studied the craft of embroidery and lace-making,” she writes. From needle lace to macramé, she incorporates a variety of these stitches into each composition. This proves a meticulous, detail-oriented endeavor. “Lace-making is an extremely time consuming occupation,” Herczeg describes. “It takes several days just to complete a small piece.”

Because the lace art is so tedious, it’s vital that Herczeg has a well-thought plan for how to execute the work. “Design is a significant part of the creative process,” she explains, “ because I have to think through not only the visual appearance of the work but its overall structure and the order of the individual steps.” Despite the rigidity of her process, Herczeg's pieces reflect freedom and even spontaneity as the threads drape from the wood.

Herczeg sells a selection of her lace sculptures through the shop on her website.

Artist Ágnes Herczeg fuses delicate lace art with real pieces of found wood.

Contemporary Lace Art

Contemporary Lace Art

Contemporary Lace Art

Lace and Wood Art by Ágnes Herczeg

The knotty wood and traditional craft techniques create a beautiful balance of hard and soft materials.

Lace and Wood Art by Ágnes Herczeg

Lace and Wood Art by Ágnes Herczeg

Contemporary Lace Art

Contemporary Lace Art

Lace Sculptures by Ágnes Herczeg

Lace and Wood Art by Ágnes Herczeg

Lace and Wood Art by Ágnes Herczeg

Lace Sculptures by Ágnes Herczeg

Lace Sculptures by Ágnes Herczeg

Lace Sculptures by Ágnes Herczeg

Lace Sculptures by Ágnes Herczeg

Lace Art by Ágnes Herczeg

Lace Art by Ágnes Herczeg

Lace Art by Ágnes Herczeg

Lace Art by Ágnes Herczeg

Lace Art by Ágnes Herczeg

Lace Sculptures by Ágnes Herczeg

Ágnes Herczeg: Website | Facebook
h/t: [Colossal]

All images via Ágnes Herczeg.

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Gardening Tools Contrasted with Intricate Lace Patterns

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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