Artist Uses Recycled Textile Waste to Handcraft Ocean-Inspired Rugs and Tapestries

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Coral Garden”

Portuguese artist Vanessa Barragão pays homage to the ocean with her incredible sculptural textile art. Her textured woolen rugs, tapestries, and wall hangings are made using a variety of techniques to transform discarded industrial textile waste into forms that mimic the organic coral structures found in the sea. Her recent works, Coral Garden and Ocean Tapestry address the huge scale at which the textile industry pollutes the natural environment.

“The textile industry is one of the most polluting in the world,” Barragão explains. “All the machinery used requires tons of energy while producing a lot of waste and disposable trash. It is extremely harmful for our planet and it affects all of its different natural environments, particularly the ocean which absorbs 90% of the atmosphere pollution.”

Barragão tries to be as eco-friendly as possible when creating her work, which is why she not only uses recycled material, but she also meticulously produces everything by hand. Rather than use machinery to render her large structures, Barragão practices age-old techniques such as crochet, latch hook, hand-tufting, embroidery, felting, and knitting. The resulting textile structures comprise a vast range of textures and colors.

For Coral Garden, Barragão created an immersive installation from an artisanal rug factory’s deadstock supplies. The stunning collection explores the harmful effects of global warming on coral reefs. A large textile wall panel depicts a plush, richly colored reef on one side, while the other is rendered in a more muted color palette, visualizing the devastating effect of coral bleaching. Similarly, the artist’s Ocean Tapestry piece is made using woolen yarns in cold, blue hues.

Barragão hopes that her work will help raise awareness of environmental issues and that people will make an effort to improve our Earth’s health. She says, “These living and complex natural organisms [coral reefs] are the heart of an immense habitat of marine species which depend on one another to survive. Without this pilar, a major part of sea life can become close to extinction which will ultimately affect us and many other living species.”

You can see more of Barragão's fantastic work on her website.

Portuguese textile artist Vanessa Barragão pays homage to the ocean with her incredible sculptural textile art.

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Coral Garden”

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Coral Garden”

Her textured woolen rugs, tapestries, and wall hangings are made using discarded industrial textile waste.

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Coral Garden”

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Coral Garden”

She uses age-old techniques such as crochet, felting, and knitting to mimic the organic coral structures found in the sea.

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Coral Garden”

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Coral Garden”

Her recent works, Coral Garden and Ocean Tapestry address the huge scale at which the textile industry pollutes the natural environment.

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Coral Garden”

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Coral Garden”

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Ocean Tapestry”

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Ocean Tapestry”

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Ocean Tapestry”

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Ocean Tapestry”

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Ocean Tapestry”

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Ocean Tapestry”

Ocean-Inspired Textile Art by Vanessa Barragao

“Ocean Tapestry”

Vanessa Barragão: Website | Instagram | Behance | Pinterest | Etsy

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Vanessa Barragão.

Related Articles:

Nature-Inspired Textiles Capture the Beauty of Our World’s Coral Reef Ecosystem

Multicolored Paper Art of the Human Microbiome Mimics Textures Found in Coral Reefs

Colossal Ceramic Installation Reflects the Fragility of the Coral Reef

Art History: Ancient Practice of Textile Art and How It Continues to Reinvent Itself

Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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