sh1, sh2, sh3
from the Monostriped Landscape series

The works sh1, sh2, sh3 form a new chapter within the Monostriped Landscape series, developed during an artistic residency at the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai. The project grows out of a practice that combines research-driven design, craftsmanship, and fiber art, positioning material-based processes as both method and meaning. Central to this approach is direct, haptic engagement with textile matter and a belief in the relevance of material-based art within contemporary artistic discourse.

The residency began with an experimental phase focused on naturally dyed textile samples – linen, cotton, and silk – created through an exploration of local plant species and everyday organic waste. Pigments were derived from mango peels collected from a nearby shop, coffee grounds from the hotel’s coffee machine, green tea, mulberry fruits, Sichuan pepper, and dried roses. This research led to a decisive shift toward silk as the sole material for the final works, chosen for its local production context and its strong connection to the geographical and cultural landscape of the region.

From this process emerged the Shanghai Color Palette – a set of tones rooted in place, season, and material availability – which directly informed the creation of the works. Over several days, the silk fabrics were repeatedly dyed and dried, with numerous test samples produced to precisely calibrate color nuances. The faux chenille quilt technique was then applied to generate subtle relief structures, transforming flat surfaces into tactile, rhythmic landscapes. Both the silk and the pigments used in the works originate from Shanghai and its surrounding areas, embedding the material memory of the place into the textile surface.

The works were presented as part of the group exhibition Unraveling Landscapes at the Swatch Art Peace Hotel (21–31 March 2024), where the artist was also responsible for the exhibition’s visual communication. Together, sh1, sh2, sh3 articulate a material narrative of place – where color, texture, and process converge into an abstract yet site-responsive textile landscape.

Learn more at: https://www.swatch-art-peace-hotel.com/virtual-museum/Jakub-Święcicki-561

photos: Jeppe Lange