freeweaver saori studio
London
Freeweaver SAORI Studio is owned by Erna Janine, who has been involved with
natural textiles for over 20 years. She studied hand spinning with animal and
plant fibres, botanical dyes and Viking age textile construction: warp weighted
looms, tablet weaving, nalbinding, etc. at the Icelandic College for traditional
handcrafts in Reyjavik. For the last four years, Erna Janine has been visiting
Japan regularly to study Saori freeweaving, a handweaving technique developed by
Misao Jo. Unlike traditional textile techniques, which rely on repeating
patterns, Saori Weaving is freestyle, personal to the weaver and so expressive
that each cloth is unique, a work of art. In addition, over the last three years
Erna Janine has travelled to India for textile residencies and conferences. She
has block printed in Bagru, travelled around Odisha with the D.I.S.C The Art
program, attended AWAKE 2 Khadi Conference in Ahmedabad and spent time in Assam
for the Art as Food, Ritual and Offering program by the Assam State Museum in
Guwahati. In the early months of 2020 she also made an appearance at the
International Conference on the Globalisation of Khadi in Jaipur, Rajastan and
spent time with the loinloom weavers in Nagaland, Assam and Megalaya.
