WEAVES OF MEANING: THE ART OF ANNEKE KLEIN BETWEEN MINIMALISM AND SOCIAL AWARENESS

| by Barbara Pavan |

Anneke Klein is a Dutch fiber artist who, through essential weaves and a visual language of refined sobriety, explores the social dynamics of our time in depth. Her background as a goldsmith, her passion for weaving, and her interest in the interaction between the artwork and the viewer — and, not least, with the space itself — have led her to develop a personal and distinctive style, recognized and acclaimed in international contexts.

In this interview, Klein shares her creative journey, the connection between minimal gestures and social reflection, and the most recent evolution of her work, which addresses the human need for hope, love, and connection in a transforming world.

In recent years, her artistic practice has received widespread recognition both in the Netherlands and internationally. Among the most significant awards are the Prix Simons at the 10th Biennale Internationale du Lin de Portneuf (2023), held at the Moulin de la Chevrotière, Québec (Canada), and the Special Recognition Award at the 5th Triennale of KOGEI (2022), hosted by the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa (Japan). Her work The Social Diary of the City – A Sustainable Society in Terms and Patterns was selected for the Social Art Award 2019 in Berlin. She also participated in the 8th Biennial of Contemporary World Textile Art in Madrid and in the exhibition Experimental Fashion & Fiber Art at the CICA Museum in Seoul.
In 2020, she was selected for Excellence in Fiber VI at the New Bedford Museum of Art (Massachusetts), with the piece Dating Site – Expressions of the Inner Desires, which received the Bronze Medal at the 13th International Biennial of Fiber Art in Ivano-Frankivs’k. The same work was later selected for the 6th Triennial Textile Art of Today 2021–2022.

More recently, in 2025, Klein was awarded Second Prize at the Biennale d’Art Contemporain de Cachan, held at L’Orangerie – Gallery Theatre in Paris, and in 2024 received an Honorable Mention at the 13th ABSTRACT exhibition of the Teravarna Contemporary Fine Art Gallery in Los Angeles.

Why did you choose textiles as your expressive medium?

I was originally trained as a goldsmith. My passion for weaving grew out of a struggle with hard, cold materials—I naturally turned to textiles for their warmth and softness.

After a period spent designing and producing clothing, I worked on commission for the American minimalist Richard Tuttle for his exhibition at the Vleeshal of the Frans Hals Museum, and later for Alexis Gautier at the Bozar Museum in Brussels. After these experiences, I began developing my own style for (wall-based) textile objects.

As a goldsmith, I learned to express myself in miniature—an approach that suits me well and continues to influence my textile work. Not in the sense of miniature or micro textile art, but through small-scale elements that contribute to rhythm and repetition.

For instance, in Dating Site, I explore inner desires by creating 726 logos (each 6 x 4 cm), presented in a format that echoes the visual language of online dating platforms. Each logo represents my personal interpretation of someone I know or encounter by chance.

Your artworks use a limited palette: white, black, and natural colors. Is this an aesthetic choice, or does it carry a deeper meaning? How do you relate to color?

Much of my work is based on the basic technique of plain weave in an open, transparent structure. Just like in the world around me, I incorporate a variety of forms, textures, and structures. In doing so, I view everyday life through a symbolic lens, which in turn fosters social awareness in myself.

Colors evoke emotions and can be too directive. By avoiding bright colors, I also avoid limiting the viewer’s emotional response. I only use color sparingly—when it serves a deeper purpose or helps to emphasize an essential idea, for example the red in the series Prospects for Love.

Generally, I focus on soft tones, structures, and textures to create a personal visual language that remains free and open to interpretation.

Your installations appear to interact with their surroundings. Would you say that the spaces themselves become part of the work?

Yes, absolutely. By choosing transparent fabric as the foundation of my work, I aim to stimulate interaction with the surrounding environment. This includes the space that hosts the work, the relationships between the individual pieces, and the engagement with the viewer.

This interaction shapes the development of my themes—for example, in the installation RT-L: Connections Through Simplicity, where I explore the liberation from rigid categories and classifications. The dialogue between the four works and their setting plays a crucial role and is informed by a desire to think beyond conventions and challenge entrenched behavior.

I see it as a gift to exhibit in locations with their own unique energy. Rather than opposing that, I welcome the challenge of finding cohesion between space and artwork—discovering unexpected connections and new narratives.

My piece Transient, which explores time and mortality, fits naturally within the atmosphere of an old factory hall. On the other hand, my series Selfies—which questions what we choose to reveal about ourselves—found a surprising harmony when displayed against the weathered wall of a former grain silo. Such pairings create moments of discovery and wonder.

What do you hope to convey to the public through your work?

As mentioned earlier, I hope that my exploration of social themes invites recognition, insight, and reflection from viewers. I see myself as an autonomous artist; my work is a personal expression of my world. Through it, I aim to create and convey meaning.

My titles often have deeper significance, and many viewers appreciate accompanying texts that offer further context or insight into the works.

For example, in The Social Diary of the City, I investigate the idea of a sustainable society through language and visual patterns. The project spans 365 days, divided into four quarters of 13 weeks. Each day, I translated a social impression or experience into a single term, which then became the basis for a visual pattern. This process documents changing societal dynamics, the pressure on social cohesion, and personal interactions—all organized within a structured visual grid.

In addition to the woven and embroidered artworks, the project includes a document listing the 365 terms, which serve as the conceptual foundation for the patterns. These were also translated into English, Spanish, Korean and Italian for exhibitions in Massachusetts, Madrid, Seoul and the International Biennial of Contemporary Fiber Art at MuRTAC in Valtopina, Italy. The translation process itself became a moment of reflection—ensuring the emotional essence of each term was preserved.

If a viewer is drawn to a particular pattern and feels prompted to associate it with their own impressions or ideas, I believe this can lead to recognition, self-questioning, and a deeper awareness of their place in a sustainable society.

Are there artists or movements that have inspired you or with whom you feel a particular connection?

I find great inspiration in the ZERO movement of the 1960s. Rather than building upon existing styles, they advocated for starting from a blank slate. This philosophy resonates with my own practice—letting go of traditional textile techniques such as damask, gobelin, ikat, quilting, or lace. Instead, I use the most basic technique, the plain weave, as my starting point.

Despite its simplicity, the plain weave offers countless possibilities for connection—a powerful metaphor in itself. From there, I “embroider on,” following my feelings and intuition, much like artists such as Jan Schoonhoven and Piero Manzoni from the ZERO era, or the abstract works of Sean Scully.

Shape and texture, weight and density, rhythm and repetition—these are the elements I use to give meaning to minimalist expression. I developed this sensibility during my collaboration with Richard Tuttle, where I learned to appreciate the delicate, minimal gesture, sometimes even with a touch of sensuality.

Today, there are new and innovative possibilities in terms of materials and techniques—for example, flexible materials like bioplastics or technical innovations such as the digital Jacquard loom. Do these new technologies and experiments influence your work, and if so, how?

Of course I follow the innovation in materials and techniques and it is amazing what one can express with it.

However, for the time being I am and remain a minimalist and as a handweaver I still feel attracted to the simplest weave, the linen weave. And with regard to materials, I prefer to be sustainable, natural yarns of Dutch origin such as beautiful hemp or linen as a base.

Could you tell me about your most recent work?

In mid-2024 I started reflecting on the impact I see around me as a result of all the change in the world and started with series about Prospects.

More and more people have severe setbacks and suffer a lot. It can sometimes seen very far away to be able to have hope. Despite that, hope is that which can always fulfill their dreams. The least you can do in life is figure out what you hope for and the best thing you can do is to live in that hope. Really living in it, under its roof, it provides a buffer against despair. Therefore my series Prospects for Hope, to have prospects give peace, hope gives courage and strength, together ensure that we remain in reality.

Just finishing the series Prospects for Love, where I depicts forms of framed love with the intention that it will flow in the viewer himself. It starts with love for yourself, but a human being cannot exist without love from another. We therefore expect to be treated with love; kindness, affection and respect. How do we make  that realistic and not improbable? Is the solution to work towards non-attachment In love and let go of expectations? In doing so, we no longer impose limitations on ourselves, on the type of love we encounter. Have respect for the other and let love flow without limiting it.

The next will be Prospects for . . . . .