In January we visited textile designer Marc Van Hoe in his Brussels atelier in order to learn more about his work and his unique collection of textile designs. Marc is a Belgian artist, textile designer, producer and consultant with an outstanding career. He has worked in many countries and continents. He is also a founder of Nieuwbrug – a platform for artists and designers, where they can meet and connect.
With his designs Marc participated in a wide range of worldwide exhibitions. His industrial textiles were also chosen and presented in The International Design Yearbook. In January 2010 he received the prestigious Henri van de Velde award for his oeuvre.
“My interest in textiles has extended over the years, and it came from the fact that I grew up in Kortrijk. As many people were involved in textile industry at that time, it was a logical step for me to take interest in these fabrics and start exploring different designs.”
Marc has a remarkable archive open for designers, historians and architects. You will find designs as well as woven samples from the late 19th century with highlights from the Art Nouveau period, the Art Deco, and up to the Editeur-look.
Nieuwbrug aims to be a place in the centre of Brussels for anyone interested in textiles, design and art. It’s a space that feels at once public and private – the home for Marc’s private collection and a centre were creativity and fresh ideas are born. At Nieuwbrug, Marc and his team are developing new collections for interior textiles as figured damasks and jacquard velvets for interior architects, decorators and project producers. Nieuwbrug is planning a range of various presentations and events in Brussels in order to highlight the importance of textiles and design in our city.
Marc was kind to open his archive collection and share with us his passion for textiles
and curiosity about different textile traditions
Nowadays, almost all of these designs are produced digitally with the help of computers. However, this was not always the case. Marc recalls the times when he used to make designs by hand. “Sometimes it took me 7 days or more to complete a certain design. These days a design is drawn through a pixel picture on a computer screen. Back then all the pieces, even the tiniest details had to be drawn manually,” remembers Marc.
If we sparked your curiosity, get in touch with Marc directly. He is a great source of artistic inspiration for anyone interested in textiles and design.
Thank you Marc, for taking the time to chat with us.
