Meet the Artist: Laurine Malengreau in Residence at the Rothko Museum

At 4 p.m. on Thursday, 27 November, the Rothko Museum will host a public meet-the-artist event with textile artist Laurine Malengreau, who will present her latest project made during her residency at the museum.

Laurine Malengreau (Belgium) has been based in Aubusson, the French capital of tapestry, for over fourteen years. After completing her studies in art history, she moved to Madrid to train in the Nuno Silk technique – a rare non-woven fabric made from natural silk and wool. Today, she continues the great tradition of wall hangings to the delight of art collectors and interior designers around the world.

Malengreau’s artistic method is highly intuitive and grounded in gesture. Working close to the ground, she allows a kind of elemental energy to pass through her hands, translating movement, emotion, and fleeting chromatic impressions directly into the material. For Malengreau, creation begins when she enters a state of deep focus – a moment she describes as finding “the right gesture”, when time seems to suspend and the work acquires its own inner vitality.

During her residency at the Rothko Museum, Malengreau has been exploring the emotion evoked by a short text by the French writer André Gide, who wrote about the profuse light and splendour heralding the arrival of summer. She seeks to translate this sensation into a diptych of deep colours, depicting dazzling light piercing an ink-blue summer night.

The event will take place in the Rothko Museum’s concert hall. Participation is free of charge and open to the public.

Laurine Malengreau’s residency at the Rothko Museum is supported by the French Institute in Latvia.