Certification of Authenticity

About the work

My work explores the relationship between the body, emotion and landscape through woven form. Using repetition, texture and accumulations of thread, I create abstract textile works that trace experiences of memory, stress, endurance and transformation. Weaving becomes a way of processing and understanding emotions physically, allowing works to build slowly through intuitive, meditative gestures. In Undertow, the repetitive rows of knots reference cycles of illness, recovery and relapse, transforming an internal bodily experience into a shifting landscape that feels both personal and universal.

Inspiration

Undertow was inspired by my experience with shingles and the recurring flare ups that followed during a period of prolonged stress and exhaustion. At the time, I struggled to acknowledge the emotional strain I was carrying, until my body eventually expressed it physically. Each row of knots references waves of blisters appearing along nerve pathways, mapping cycles of pain, recovery and return. The forms resemble mountain ridges, weather systems or ocean swells, reflecting the body’s internal landscape. Built slowly through repetition, the work became a way of tracing endurance, vulnerability and the invisible weight carried beneath the surface.

Process

Hand woven tapestry created from reclaimed, recycled and small batch fibres.

Undertow was created through a slow, repetitive process of hand knotting and weaving. I built the work row by row, allowing each cluster of knots to reference the recurring flare ups of shingles appearing across nerve pathways in the body. The composition developed intuitively, with the forms gradually resembling ocean swells, mountain ridges and shifting internal landscapes. Repetition became an important part of the making process, echoing cycles of stress, pain, rest and relapse. The work is constructed from layered fibres on an exposed warp, using texture, density and spacing to create a sense of rhythm, tension and fragile endurance.

About the artist

Maryanne Moodie is a contemporary fibre artist based in Melbourne, Australia. Known for her richly textured woven works, she creates large scale tapestries using reclaimed, recycled and small batch fibres. Her practice explores colour, emotion, memory and the way textiles can transform the feeling of a space. Alongside exhibiting internationally, she teaches weaving workshops and mentors emerging artists, helping revive contemporary tapestry weaving for a new generation.