Textile Artist Benjamin Shine on Making His Portraits with Tulle [Podcast]

Artist Benjamin Shine on His Unexpected Collaboration With Tulle [Podcast]

By My Modern Met on November 10, 2021

“The Dance” by Benjamin Shine

Textile artist Benjamin Shine uses swathes of tulle to fabricate flowing three-dimensional portraits of unnamed figures, often suggesting ideas of energy and impermanence. A true master of his material, Shine’s work has been recognized and exhibited globally, with his clients and collaborations including The Met, Vogue, and many others.

This week on the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast, we interview Shine about his artistic journey, beginning with his initial resistance towards becoming a “starving artist” in fashion design and progressing to how he then discovered and began innovating with tulle: the lightweight fabric with which he has now become so deeply entwined. Plus, Shine goes on to answer your listener questions, offering insight into his creative process, other materials that intrigue him, and how he tracks his many artistic ideas with a helpful system of translucent folders.

This is an excellent episode for artists or art lovers wanting to learn more about finding their voice and working with unique materials. Shine’s story reminds us to be flexible, allowing ourselves to follow threads of ideas even after we feel they’ve begun to take shape.

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