Revamped Vintage Household Items
17th February 2023
Swedish artist Ulla-Stina Wikander collects both abandoned cross stitch projects and ordinary household items from the 70s. She then craftily gives both a second life, covering sewing machines, hand mixers, old telephones and more with the cross stitch pieces, producing a beautiful exhibition of embroidered vintage objects.
With a collection of over 120 re-purposed objects, Ulla-Stina finds joy in seeing how old and obsolete items can transform when given a new context.
Sourcing the items and embroidery pieces she works with at vintage stores and flea markets, there is an authenticity to her work that is inimitable.
Naming her series ‘Untitled set’, there is an irony reflected in selecting such an unsuspecting title for such an exquisite body of work.
Perhaps this is a nod to the notion that there is more than meets the eye, as shown in both the title of her series and in the forgotten objects she transforms.
Though she doesn’t personally create the embroidery used, some of the larger pieces in the series have taken weeks to complete, demonstrating just how intricate her work is.
Ulla-Stina has definitely reminded us that when it comes to finding inspiration, old doesn’t always mean irrelevant. You can see her full gallery of work and even purchase select installations on her website HERE.