MVD takes the crochet technique out of context, setting aside the traditional patterns of the craft itself. She explores automatic repetition, beginning with a fundamental element of the technique, such as treble crochet, and gives it the same value as the figure of a tree in her paintings.
During the last year she has had the need to express her concerns regarding motherhood and parenting by knitting the series Maternal Beings. Crochet has become an essential language in her daily life. It is turning out to be a kind of exorcism to be able to extract the most obscure and disturbing characters such as loneliness, guilt, fear and anxiety, topics that are still very little talked about in society.
Current Exhibition at Galenicum with Arspect.
During the months of May, June and July, five tapestries are exhibited in the interior garden of the pharmaceutical company Galenicum in Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona. Thanks to Arspect, my tapestries can be admired in this idyllic setting.
These tapestries are part of the Other Worlds series, knitted with hemp and colored cotton threads.
Two are large 'Coloratura' (180 x 180 cm), 'Cicle' (180 x 160 cm), and three smaller 'Landscape I' (150 x 24 cm), 'Landscape II' (147 x 29 cm) and ‘Landscape III’ (147 x 29 cm).
Hemp fiber is one of the strongest and most durable natural materials, especially when it comes to withstanding harsh weather conditions. Its chemical and physical structure gives it unique advantages over other textile materials.
Tapestries can be designed and created with plant fibers for gardens, open spaces linked to the natural environment.
FREQUENCIES (2026)
The work focuses on imbuing the tapestry with volume, creating reliefs that boldly protrude from the flat surface.
The objective is to transcend two dimensions by interspersing these volumes, which are organically formed from the interweaving of pruned tree branches.
These reliefs transform into integral parts of a unique graphic language, fostering an interaction between volume, light, and shadow. This interplay allows the viewer to contemplate the tapestry as if it were a new text to be deciphered.
Energy is translated into frequencies, and in this context, the textile material becomes a transmitting body for that which remains unseen. The technique employed is crochet, utilizing natural fibers such as jute combined with colored cotton threads.
The manipulation of these two distinct fibers simultaneously is particularly intriguing. Their differing states—the rough sensation of jute alongside the softness of treated cotton—creates a dynamic interplay, allowing for the development of volume thanks to the jute's rigidity.The cotton thread, in turn, contributes subtle hues to the overall composition.
Granting a sculptural value to the tapestry opens the doors to another dimension of artistic expression.
‘Frequencies I’ Jute/cotton/branches 180 x 30 cm 2026
‘Frequencies II’ Hemp/cotton/branches 107 x 30 cm 2026
MATERNAL BEINGS (2025/2026)
Maternal beings were born out of the need to give form to the emotions felt during the early years of motherhood and raising a child.
Fear, loneliness, uncertainty, guilt, and anxiety take on physical form as characters, shaped and colored like totems, figures meant to be honored, so the energy poured into the immense challenge of being a mother is not forgotten.
They are textile sculptures made from repurposed yarns left over from different household projects she worked on before, during, and after her pregnancy. Marta learned and refined her crochet skills by making small blankets for her baby, shawls as birthday gifts for loved ones, cushion covers for her sofa, and other everyday pieces.
She also used leftover skeins of yarn donated by friends and family. Suitcases full of wool and pearl cotton, the same materials our mothers and grandmothers used to create truly beautiful handmade works.
Another material chosen to give these textile sculptures a body is the branches that hold them up. They become fragments of an anthropomorphic skeleton—hinting at limbs, antennas, or bones that rise at the top, shaping what feels like the totem’s head. These branches are remnants of pruning from the trees in the forest near his home.
There is a clear intention to work from the subconscious, allowing technique and intuition to guide the choice of threads and colors. The pieces are made at a considerable scale to give them a sense of personhood, so the viewer can feel a presence, that is equal to or even greater than their own.
Agitation Reused wool/cotton with brunches 30 x 200 cm 2025
Loneliness Reused Wool/cotton with branches 35 X 170 cm 2025
Thoughts Eight tapestries Reused wool/cotton 15 X 200 cm 2025
Mother dress Reused wool/cotton with branches 69 x 175 cm 2025
Breastfeeding dress Reused cotton threads 45 x 200 cm 2025
Uncertainty Reused cotton and synthetic wool 240 x 50 cm 2026
Dolores Reused cotton and synthetic wool 300 x 50 cm 2026
CHAINS (2025)
This series consists of eight tapestries, each featuring a repeating pattern of chain stitches set between bands of treble crochet. Most of the pieces are made using hemp yarn combined with cotton and a small amount of synthetic fibers.
In these installations and tapestries, chains are not represented as heavy metal objects, but as repeated forms,delicate, interconnected elements that build a larger structure. Each unit symbolizes a responsibility: family, work, partnership, parenthood, domestic tasks, social expectations.
The repetition is intentional. Just like daily obligations, the forms multiply. One link leads to another, one task to the next. There is no clear beginning or end , only continuity. The viewer is invited to walk around or through the piece, experiencing both connection and constraint.
The materials may appear soft or ethereal, but the structure they create also feels overwhelming and heavy. This contrast reflects the nature of our commitments: they are often based on love, care, and responsibility, yet they can still be restrictive. The installation does not seek to condemn these bonds, but rather to question them.
Chains 'The lines of time' Hemp/cotton threads 120 x 300 cm 2024
Chains #A1 Cotton with brunch 45 x 176 cm 2025
Chains #C Jute and gold synthetic thread with brunch 160 x 180 cm 2025
Chains 'Rest' Cotton threads 300 x 120 cm 2025
Chains 'Path on air' Cotton 220 x 25 cm 2024
Chains 'Colorful chains' Reused synthetic wools 157 x 46 cm 2024
OTHER WORLDS (2024/2025)
This series of tapestries complements the Other Worlds series of paintings, where the central motif remains the tree, in this case rendered in double crochet. The same repeating patterns are applied using the crochet technique. Each stitch functions as a tree, automatically repeating and overlapping row after row until the tapestry takes shape.
The material used is hemp yarn combined with cotton threads.
A 3.5 mm crochet hook is employed, and the works are supported by wooden rods.
The works are set within the forest that borders Marta’s home studio, where the landscape becomes an extension of the practice itself. Nature offers the perfect setting for her way of expression, allowing natural fibers such as hemp to enter into dialogue with their own environment.
When designing the patterns, particular attention was given to the influence of renowned textile artists such as Anni Albers. Her pioneering exploration of weave structures and the possibilities of repetition and pattern, inspiring a method of working that treats crochet not merely as a craft, but as a medium for artistic expression.
Other worlds 'Landscape I' Hemp and cotton 24 x 150 cm 2024
Blue fairy tales Hemp/cotton 160 x 98 cm 2024/2025
Other worlds 'Landscape II' Hemp/cotton 147 x 29 cm 2024
Cycle tapestry Hemp and cotton threads 160 x 185 cm 2024
All those times we were Cotton threads 90 x 300 cm 2023
ALL THOSE TIMES WE WERE (2025)
This large-format tapestry is a tribute to the elderly who are no longer with us but who have left a lasting mark. Especially those who lived in the countryside, family ancestors who feel closer than ever in these times.
