While the history of the textile industry in Łódź is quite well known and documented, the tradition of machine lace production in this city is much less recognized. I was inspired by it when painting my mural at 217 Wólczańska Street.
The painting covers 130 square meters, and I worked on it for six days, striving to capture the beauty and precision of the machine lace pattern that served as inspiration. I found this lace in an antique shop a few streets away.
The textile industry had a tremendous impact on the development and identity of Łódź. Among the many modern factories of the time that produced high-quality fabrics on a mass scale, there was also a lace and curtain factory founded in 1888 by the well-known Łódź industrialist Gustaw Geyer. This factory operated at 278 Piotrkowska Street.
Although the factory building no longer exists, its legacy can be found in the portrait of Gustaw’s wife, Anna Geyer, displayed at the Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź. In the painting, Anna Geyer is portrayed with lace in her hand, a symbolic tribute to this specialized part of her husband`s industrial empire.
Thank you to the @urban_forms Urban Forms Foundation for the invitation, to Mrs. Teresa Latuszewska for organizing the project, and to Aleksandra Dudek for her care.
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