Ursula Wagner at her Studio in Neuegling, Germany | photo credits: Juliane Eirich
Weaving is my main medium of artistic expression. I am fascinated by the sculptural potential of textiles: the fluid transition between the second and the third dimension, the mutability of form. For me, creating textiles is a form-finding process, where structure, material and space influence and shape one another.
Ursula Wagner sculpts using industrial weaving machines. She approaches woven fabric as a spatial entity rather than as an ornamental or pictorial surface. Looms are driven by binary code: zeros and ones shaping the inherent structure of the cloth. For her, programming the weave means coding the behaviour of the material itself.
Within this abstract logic, Ursula’s aesthetic sensibility evokes a sense of wonder. Her designs explore how fabric responds to space and light, transforming structural planning into tangible presence. Materiality – and how we perceive it – lies at the heart of her artistic practice, emerging through works that are minimalist in form yet rich in subtle complexity.
Alongside weaving, papermaking has become another key technique in her artistic exploration – one that continues her pursuit of material expression in sculptural form. In her handmade paper works, the same quiet clarity appears – reminding us that the tactile beauty of everyday materials often remains unnoticed.
Ursula Wagner’s works in textile and paper add a sensory, poetic and emotional layer to these materials and cultivate a renewed appreciation for them.
