Fit for a King
This project was created in response to the “Fit for a King” brief provided by the Embroiderer’s Guild, of which I am honored to be a member.
Also, this artwork is a kind of a side project from the “Simple Words” series that is dedicated to experimenting with hand lettering and embroidery.
Year
2023Brief
Fit for a King by Embroiderers' GuildSize
30x42cmComposition
Hand Embroidery, mixed techniques
Transparency and Justice
The concept of gifting something to a king may seem antiquated, reminiscent of a time when foreign ambassadors would bring extravagant offerings to amuse the court. Nonetheless, the notion of presenting something to a modern leader should not be for mere amusement, but rather to convey a message.
The message I would like to convey to any modern leader, be it a king, president, or the head of a company, is that of transparency and justice. In our current times, we not only need leaders who inspire us, but leaders who are also accountable. Transparency for leaders means being willing to answer to society and demonstrate their readiness to do so. Upholding justice is one of the most challenging tasks and requirements for a leader, as it is something that is difficult to find and remarkably easy to lose.
To visually represent this message, I have created a wall panel titled “Transparency and Justice.”
Embroidery meets Hand lettering
For this artwork, I’ve experimented with contemporary vyaz (Cyrillic calligraphy) lettering style.
Contemporary Goldwork
The lettering composition is created using the goldwork embroidery technique, but without the use of any metal thread. A combination of different threads was employed to achieve the desired gradient effect.
Luneville Embroidery
The background of the composition was created using various embroidery techniques, including Luneville.
Transparency and Justice, 30×42 cm wall panel
“Transparency and Justice” intertwines the antiquated tradition of gifting to leaders with a modern call for accountability. This wall panel merges contemporary vyaz lettering with goldwork embroidery, sans metal thread, for a gradient effect. Luneville embroidery forms the background, evoking medieval book designs. The piece symbolizes the necessity for leaders, be they kings or CEOs, to embody transparency and uphold justice in their actions.
