Liv Aanrud is a textile artist and painter from the US. She is well known for her maximalist, large-scale figurative tapestries that blur the lines between painting and weaving. Combining traditional textile techniques with bold colour schemes, Aanrud’s portrait pieces are heavily textured, slowly stitched drawings that burst with symbols and patterns.
Liv Aanrud is an internationally recognised artist who is best known for her highly detailed figurative textile pieces, however her artistic journey actually began in the world of abstract painting.
Liv Aanrud concentrates on the material and tactile qualities of textiles, translating everyday fabrics into intricate works that reveal the beauty of ordinary textures. By blending traditional weaving techniques with modern ideas, she creates pieces that tell stories about people, feelings, emotions and objects.
Liv Aanrud’s Artistic Journey
Aanrud grew up on a small farm in rural Wisconsin. She developed her style after discovering an old rag rug made by her grandmother. This inspired her to teach herself how to weave and hook rugs – a method that merges traditional folk crafts with the boldness of contemporary fine art.
Around seventeen years ago, I found a rag rug that my grandmother had made back in the 1940s. It was a beautiful abstract piece… I began making paintings of the rug.
Although she often works with yarn, burlap, and fabric scraps, she approaches her pieces with the mindset of a painter.
Liv Aanrud’s figurative artworks are peppered with symbolic images. Look at the piece ‘Touching Grass’ above: what objects can you see entwined within the figure? What do you think the different objects could mean?
Liv Aanrud on Instagram:
Watch the short clip below to learn more about the inspiration behind Aanrud’s pieces.
What is Liv Aanrud’s Artistic Style Like?
Aanrud’s artworks often feature an explosion of vibrant hues (colours), allowing the intricate detail of her stitches to create form and providing a strong sense of energy and movement.
In the artworks, we can see strong similarities between Aanrud’s stitched lines and the energetic brushstrokes of a post-impressionist painting. Can you list 3 or more similarities and differences between painting with a brush and “painting” with yarn?
In her larger-than-life tapestries, Aanrud often features female figures that interact with abstract landscapes and symbolic elements. The pieces transform ordinary poses and objects into a complex web of colour, drawing in viewers to slowly explore the tiny, stitched details of her designs. The longer you look, the more you see!
Yarn is a rolled-up line that becomes a stitched, soft sculptural drawing that looks like a painting… My textiles are an earnest attempt to slow time.
Why do you think Liv Aanrud makes her compositions so complex?
Some artworks by Liv Aanrud do not feature figures, people or portraits at all – they are completely abstract. Why do you think she has named the two pieces (below) ‘Time Turner’ and ‘Haystack’?
What is Liv Aanrud’s process for making textile artworks?
🧶 As well as stitching by hand, she uses a mechanical ‘tufting gun‘ to create large-scale artworks – but what on earth is that?! They are super cool – here’s the science:
Top Facts about textile artist Liv Aanrud:
- She grew up on a dairy farm in rural Wisconsin, USA, and is now based in Los Angeles, California.
- She gained recognition for her “fabric paintings,” which are exhibited in galleries across the world.
- She has had over 35 different jobs, including being a cleaner at her old school!
- She studied at Rutgers University where she gained an M.F.A in painting.
- Her unique technique was inspired by a rag rug created by her grandmother in the 1940s.
- She uses traditional rug hooking techniques, as well as modern tufting guns, to punch yarn and fabric scraps through burlap grids.
- Many of her tapestries explore themes of the female figure, memory, and emotional states, acting as abstract self-portraits.
- Her artworks are incredibly laborious, sometimes taking weeks or months of repetitive stitching to complete.
- Aanrud often uses recycled and common materials, inviting a sense of familiarity and a desire for touch from the viewer.
- She is one of the original cofounders of LA Tactile Lab, where she continues to teach workshops. Textile Lab is a female-owned art school in Los Angeles.
Have a close look at Aanrud’s tapestry pieces. Can you see any mark-making techniques you recognise? How does Aanrud create depth and tone while only using yarn and fabric? What formal / visual elements can you see in her work?
COLOUR and TEXTURE make up two of the Visual / Formal Elements of Art.
Have a look at this guide to the Formal Elements of Art to get a better understanding of how artists explore them.
Teachers – there is also a Formal Elements project for you to use in your classrooms!
What skills can you see in Liv Aanrud’s artworks? Think about the quality of her work and try to list 5 skills you recognise.
🎨 WANT MORE ART TEACHING RESOURCES?
Join the Art Teacher Club for just £3 per month – less than a coffee!
Get new high quality art resources every month – including projects, worksheets, PowerPoints and printable teaching materials. For £3/month you will get access to the Membership Area and each month, new resources and projects will be available there.
Resources already trusted by thousands of art teachers – join them now 💡
One thought on “Liv Aanrud”