Sofie Leenen

Sofie Leenen focuses on materiality in relation to the origin of crafts and production techniques. By asking how and why things are developed, she gains insight into the creative process and can further develop it. Her research process is experimental, she works closely with other makers and the industry.
With the Braided Weave, Leenen researches the similarities between weaving and basketry and combines these two techniques in her work. Weaving has many similarities with basketry, but often one is two-dimensional and the other 3D. This inspired Leenen to experiment with the function of a woven fabric. The Braided Weave has a flat surface in the shape of a circle. To get a flat surface, she used a mold with an inner diameter of 80 centimeters and 512 holes that are evenly distributed over the inner circle. Each thread traverses the center of the circle, thereby creating 256 loops at the ends of the circle. The middle is the starting position of the weaving process, with a structure inspired by the basketry technique. The middle is thick and stiff in structure, towards the outer edge, it becomes increasingly refined.

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