Els Hanappe

As an art historian, I am a visual person who loves gazing at paintings. My identity is formed by what I see, sense and create. One such visual delight I came across were the embroidered dresses by Elie Saab that seemed to be out of this world. When an elderly fashion designer bemoaned the loss of skilled embroiders, my curiosity was aroused as to the nature of haute couture embroidery. Researching the notion, I stumbled upon the same dresses and this time I decided I wanted to be able to create this kind of exquisiteness myself. Greece has no tradition in Lunéville/tambour embroidery, the techniques with which I started out in 2018. I researched silk shading, gold work, and lace from Lier or perlage. My first creations were pieces of jewellery and appliqués, inspired by patterns from the south, the Eastern Mediterranean, from Ancient Greece, Byzantium and Islam. Self-taught and working in relative isolation, it is important to meet other artists, to challenge myself, and to receive feedback. My goal is to work professionally, to research the history of beads and to specialize in this direction.