01 Jul Needlepoint as Paint

Recently in Greece, I visited the a.antonopoulou.art gallery in Athens and came upon the work of Israeli artist Aviv Keller, whose stunning and beautiful embroidery work was unlike anything I’d seen before. The pieces were vibrant, exciting, pulsating with life and endlessly detailed.

His precise and brilliantly executed needlework melds a magnificent skill with an ancient craft with the inspired brush strokes found in fine painting.

Choosing from photos he has taken of urban landscapes as his primary subject matter, Mr. Keller transfers an image onto canvas through drawing. Once the image is laid out, the embroidery begins, with the free spirited stitch work providing the painterly effect.

I was completely captivated by the works, as they were unusual yet immediately accessible in their familiar medium.

This artist is taking needlework into the next realm, a new stitch in time!