Lofoten, Norway
When we last caught up with Polish street artist NeSpoon, she was spreading her lacework murals across a semi-abandoned town in central Italy. Since then, she’s traveled across Europe, working her way through Sweden, Norway, Spain, and Germany. By studying local lace patterns, and incorporating them into her spray-painted murals, she merges past and present for a surprising effect.
For the past nine years, NeSpoon has evolved her style, her lace spidering across large buildings and small pieces of urban architecture. “I believe that lace patterns are pure visual poetry,” she tells My Modern Met. “In every piece of lace, we find symmetry, some kind of order and harmony. Isn’t that what we all seek instinctively?”
For her work in Berlin with Urban Nation, the delicate lace is set off in a vibrant gold against a rich black background, which gives a hint of the ornate Art Nouveau decorations that one can see throughout Northern Europe. Her work in northern Norway for the UpNorth festival is also steeped in history, inspired by historical Venetian lace patterns.
The pattern sprayed on the sides of small wooden buildings in the fishing villages of the Lofoten islands were taken from a traditional lace pattern book. During the 15th century, Venice was known as a center of commercial trade, with lace particular specialization. In homage to the trade between Norway and Venice, NeSpoon’s selection is a demonstration of her deep research as an artist.
Polish street artist NeSpoon is inspired by vintage lace patterns, which she transforms into large murals around the world.
Berlin, Germany
Berlin, Germany
Borås, Sweden
Borås, Sweden
Valencia, Spain
“I believe that lace patterns are pure visual poetry.”
Valencia, Spain
Lofoten, Norway
Lofoten, Norway
“In every piece of lace, we find symmetry, some kind of order and harmony.”
Póvoa da Atalaia, Portugal
Póvoa da Atalaia, Portugal
“Isn’t that what we all seek instinctively?”
Bombarral, Portugal
Berlin, Germany