Marta Nowak
Artist Statement
My work divulges the inner oddities and wisdom of my childhood mind. I work with the bright colors I thought I was supposed to grow out of, so I can knit pieces for my subconscious to grow into. Vibrant yarns are knitted into abstract shapes. They return me to the part of myself I ran from: A child who felt completely content without any answers.
I am talking to her, knitting ceaseless twisty roads and mazes with cryptic ends. Looking for her, remembering the mismatched shoes and paint on her face, I ask her why she wants to be an artist. We work through the puzzles together. I conceive new compositions that surpass my technical expectations, and it feels like I’m learning to draw again. I invent, bend, and warp the knitting rules I learned so I can manifest my own orderly disorder- just like when I was six knitting for the very first time.
Although I find empowerment in uncertainty, I still take missteps. The stitches I am forced to unravel comfort me as I unlearn distortions from adulthood. Within the scope of reminiscence, I knit my sweaters to embody my fears and find familiarity with my inner child.
Artist Bio
Marta Nowak is a multifaceted knitwear artist and designer. As a first generation Polish-American, she questions the boundaries of emotional vulnerability between her cultures. The persistent nature of knitting provided her with a sense of dependability, in stark contrast to the unpredictable nature of her personal relationships. Subconsciously on a mission to find inner peace, this led Marta to pursuing a BFA in Textiles at RISD.
After earning her degree, she became an AIR 11 resident at the Textile Arts Center. Here, she invented an illustrative knitting technique, which pivoted her knitting approach. For Marta, conceptualizing knitted shapes forms parallels with learning to draw as a girl. She embodies dependability by following traditional sweater constructions. These familiar sweater bodies are knitted for different past younger selves, and house her abstracted knitted worlds. Knitting evolved into a bridge of communication with her inner child
Marta’s work is gaining recognition in the fine art and design world. She was recently published as a featured artist in Discovering Machine Knitting. In May 2023, Marta was one of thirteen selected fiber participants at Pentaculum- an invitational residency program at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. She continues to break the rules of knitting in her Jersey City apartment.
