With a simple fold transforming paper from flat surface to sculptural volume, this simple gesture lies at the heart of Folded Echoes – a collaboration between textile designer Nathalie Van der Massen and ceramic artist Karen Verlinden. Their 17 mixed-media pieces were created from this intervention, exhibiting craft tradition through basic material manipulations.
Van der Massen’s room dividers anchor the collection with architectural presence, woven from linen and paper yarns. The paper threads, typically fragile and ephemeral, gain strength through weaving while retaining their essential character – a paradox that speaks to the broader themes of the collaboration. The divider operates simultaneously as sculpture and screen.
Verlinden responds in ceramic form through her sculptural low table, where the memory of folded paper finds permanence in clay. The ceramic translation amplifies the original gesture while fundamentally altering its nature – what was once collapsible becomes fixed. Her wall sculptures demonstrate how shadow becomes an active participant in the work’s intention, their appearance shifting with changing light conditions throughout the day.
“We want to explore the boundaries of different media – the contrast between hard and soft materials, heavy and light structures. These tensions enhance the sculptural qualities of our work,” says Karen Verlinden.
The collaboration represents more than aesthetic experiment – it embodies a methodology for interdisciplinary making that could influence future craft education and practice. By maintaining individual artistic voices within collective exploration, Van der Massen and Verlinden demonstrate how collaborative craft can preserve personal expression while expanding technical and conceptual possibilities.
View more information on Folded Echoes at Nathalie Van der Massen’s website or Karen Verlinden’s website.
Photography by Tijs Vervecken.
