Star and the Birch Tree

FibreTapestry

$3500

Pirkko Karvonen, born in Finland, was sent to Sweden in 1939 during Finland's war with Russia. She got her first exposure to handcrafts while living there with her Swedish foster mother. After her parents divorce and her father remarried, Karvonen returned to Finland to live with her father and stepmother. Her relationship with her stepmother became very close and, through her encouragement, Karvonen learned to weave when she was fourteen. Two years later she accompanied her parents in their move to Edmonton, Alberta, bringing her enthusiasm for her craft with her. Mastery of design and technique has obsessed her by working in the same technique for over twenty years. She started by working with heavy yarns to give texture. Soon she was able to refine both the technique and materials and began to use fine yarns to produce wonderful traditional weaving with intricate designs.

"With the "Star and the Birch Tree" I further mastered my technique by creating lines on the building. I was able to get a glow in the sky by combining several fine weft yarns together. Then with the snow on the fence I was able to make it three-dimensional by doing inlay. This tapestry is a story from my childhood. Finland was under Russian rule when a Finnish boy and a girl were taken to Russia. They got back following the star and when they came to their home they recognized it by the birch tree. The glow of the star is on the horizon."