Maria Abando - SPAIN

“I am passionate about textiles. I studied Fine Arts at the University of Bilbao and later Industrial Design at the Scuola Politecnica di Design of Milan. Since 2020, I have focused my practice on working with wool from our own flock, a material that in recent decades had largely gone unused and was often considered animal waste.

Our sheep, of the native Mallorcan breed, graze freely in the north of the island of Mallorca. From them, I carry out the entire process: from shearing —where I carefully select the best fleeces— to washing and carding the wool, which I then mainly transform into lighting pieces.

I am inspired by the forms of the natural microcosm, although I feel that the pieces emerge almost autonomously, as in nature itself, where forms follow a logic of optimization and minimal effort.

Each piece is unique, made of felt using a wet felting technique and simple or book resist methods. The result is a series of organic volumes that seek to connect with the quiet harmony and intelligence of the natural world.”

- From Maria Abando

Instagram: @mariabandolaran