Feeling Flemish, felting Flemish

The Kempish sheep is a breed of longstanding cultural significance to the history of Flanders. Their wool is deemed too short to make yarn, so it’s sadly thrown away. Nell Maher wants to tell the story of the village in Kempen where she grew up by using this wasted material. She discovered forgotten Flemish history and culture through the act of handcrafting art using traditional techniques. The result is a large wall tapestry depicting a typical Flemish landscape where the sheep graze. It was made using their wool. It is decorative, regulates temperature and dampens sound with its multiple functions. Nell wants to bring attention to her home village's history while exploring the potential of wasted materials and preserving the craft of homemade textiles.