SCULPTURAL EMBROIDERY

Itamar Yehiel

Hope, 2024

This artwork is inspired by the olive branch as a universal symbol of peace and by Kintsugi (golden repair), the traditional Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. This technique and its underlying philosophy view breakage and repair as an integral part of an object's history rather than a flaw to be hidden.
Despite all the difficulties involved in joining so many broken pieces, the process of repair and rejoining is possible and can result in something even more beautiful and special than the original.

Polyester thread and gold in a box frame

74 x 54 x 5 cm | 21 x 29 x 1.5 inch (frame)

Artist Statement
2026

I am a sculptural embroidery artist.
In my travels around the world, I have learned from different cultures about ways of life, worldviews, and the role of crafts. I feel that embroidery and nature are timeless threads that connect us all. My creations are inspired by nature; it is my primary vocabulary.

I embroider by hand and with a sewing machine. From a two-dimensional form, I create a three-dimensional object, focusing on textures, shades, and details.

My embroideries engage with philosophical and emotional experiences, expressing the paradoxes of life, the passage of time, and the beauty of imperfection.
They tell stories of identity, crisis, and hope.