Eszter Tóth

Eszter Tóth is currently studying Textile design at the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design. Within textile design, she mainly works on knitted fabrics and is particularly interested in combining machine and hand techniques. She places great importance on preserving and passing down handicraft traditions, regularly incorporating these techniques into her work. Her inspiration comes primarily from nature, her own environment, and the blending of different textile techniques. In her work, she strives to combine traditional methods with modern approaches and innovative solutions to create unique and special textile creations.

About the object

Hiding

The textile piece titled Hiding was inspired by the coexistence and diversity of life observed in nature. Eszter Tóth explored the theme of concealment, drawing inspiration from various camouflage strategies found in different organisms, such as the unique patterns of butterflies or the distinctive, habitat-mimicking forms of beetles.

For the creation of the knitted patterns, she chose two different types of natural fibers: wool and cotton. The significance of these materials lies in the fact that, although they are both natural in origin, they have different properties. The strength and rigidity of cotton contrast with the softer, fluffier texture of wool, allowing me to create visually richer and more complex surfaces by combining the two materials. She uses the yarns in their natural color, making her work entirely monochromatic, and she patterns them using various structuring techniques.

The concealed, camouflaged motifs are lace patterns hidden within a stiffer structure interwoven with wool. She constructed the textile so that the pattern becomes increasingly sparse from the outer layer to the center, revealing the lace surfaces completely at the core. By utilizing the curling of the material, the artist created a scroll whose pattern can only be revealed by unfolding it.