Born in Ukraine, living in the Netherlands and fascinated by Japan, Alya explores the realms of politics, philosophy and physicality through making objects, writing and performing. She seeks emptiness as a way of letting go of the pre-defined and allowing multiple interpretations.
At the Heritage exhibition at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2016 she presented a 'knitting performance' with aim to explore the physicality of knitting.
"The work explores knitting as a concept, whereby this heritage craft becomes a model of human relationships.
Two entities, working together, create a material. Two human bodies start moving to become knitting needles, the choreography of knitting unfolds into space and materialises into a story of two people collaborating"
Q&A with Alya Hessy
In what projects are you involved at this moment?
I am exploring new possibilities through collaborations with inspiring people. I am resear ching the meaning of craft through history and now. And I am still trying to figure out life, ha-ha!
Who are your artistic influences or inspirations and why?
Louise Bourgeois: incredibly consistent, stubborn and mischievous. Kenya Hara about the concept of emptiness as an opening of possibilities. Japanese spaces, gardens, poetry. Roland Barthes “ The Empire of Signs” – a collection of refined witty essays on various aspects of emptiness in Japanese culture.
Finding your own voice is difficult, where and how do you find your personal creativity (before you start designing; during the design process)?
I use my background in computer programming for collecting, analysing and dissecting data, extracting the essence. I combine it with an intuitive approach to feel the quality of the material and find a way of shaping it.
What do you want to communicate with your designs in general?
Make space.
Take your time.
Look. Listen.
Feel.
Can you tell us something about the project you presented at the FASHIONCLASH Festival? Together with a choreographer and my co-performer Pavlos Marios Ktoridis we will explore the physicality of knitting. It is a durational performance, which we performed during the Heritage Exhibition.
"A seemingly simple action, a whole range of human emotions, growing material: human relationship as a garment."
Why have you decided to participate at FASHIONCLASH Festival?
The topic Heritage triggered me, as for the performance (that will be shown on the festival) I work with an old heritage craft of knitting. In my work I strive for emptiness (multiple possibilities). It is exciting to place this work in yet another context, that of fashion.
More about Alya and her work here: http://www.alyahessy.com
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