Musek, Anja

Musek, Anja

people

1975

iain

English,Slovene

Organisation

308

current,46.1663222982793,14.307308507957;

Scotland

Musek, Anja

http://www.amuse.si/

TEXT

Anja Musek, a landscape architect by profession, managed her own business for several years, specializing in garden and park design. However, as she sought greater professional fulfillment and creative expression, she discovered the art of wet felting. Driven by a profound passion for the craft, she transitioned from landscape architecture to textile artistry, transforming her hobby into a full-time profession that seamlessly integrates creativity, craftsmanship, and artistic innovation. In pursuit of a dedicated creative space, Anja and her husband (a violin maker) acquired an old house in the medieval town center of Škofja Loka, Slovenia. This building now accommodates her workshop where she designs and produces her handcrafted creations. At the entrance into the building, she has established a showroom and retail space, offering visitors the opportunity to explore and purchase her felted designs. Under her brand AMUSE, Anja Musek specializes in the creation of high-quality, handcrafted fashion accessories and garments, including scarves, bags, jackets, and jewelry. Employing the technique of wet felting, she crafts each piece by hand, ensuring exceptional attention to detail and material integrity.

ZRCSAZU_PR_01

446

iao@st-andrews.ac.uk

facebook,https://www.facebook.com/AMUSEbyAnjaMusek;instagram,https://www.instagram.com/amusebyanjamusek/;

+386 31 855 468

fibre and textile crafts,artist

She learned the felting technique at workshops at the DUO Škofja Loka Handicraft Centre and is now building on it with her own ideas. She also participates in workshops and training courses abroad. She is always looking for new knowledge in the field.

Anja also conducts various wet felting workshops, offering both group sessions and individual masterclasses. She teaches a range of techniques, from basic to advanced, primarily in her own studio but also as part of programs at the Škofja Loka Craft Center. Additionally, she collaborates with local schools and educational institutions, introducing younger generations to the art of felting. Recently, she has also conducted a workshop for design faculty students, further expanding her engagement in creative education.

Katarina Šrimpf Vendramin

Yes

Chat GPT was used to summarise and translate the text

female

incomer

Felting requires specific knowledge of the properties and processing procedures of the base material - wool. Knowledge of the wool of different breeds of sheep is required in terms of suitability for use (coarse wool, e.g. for carpets, furniture pieces, slippers; finer wool for clothing and personal products). It is necessary to know the entire production process (from conceptual design to product layout, shrinkage factor calculation, production of enlarged layout and templates, etc.). Design skills and a sense of aesthetics are also needed for high quality products.

She moved to Škofja Loka with her family around 2010 due to high housing prices in Ljubljana. She and her partner also saw Škofja Loka as a city of creators and artists.

She works exclusively with natural fibers. As a base material, she primarily uses various types of wool, sourced from abroad, but also incorporates wool from indigenous Slovenian sheep breeds, though she notes that it is more difficult to obtain. In addition to wool, she enhances her creations with other natural fibers, such as silk, linen, ramie, and nettle, adding unique texture and depth to her designs. High-quality soap made from olive oil is also essential for her work, as it plays a crucial role in the felting process.

full-time paid job

She sources her materials primarily from specialized companies abroad, mainly in Italy, while also obtaining a smaller quantity of wool locally.

In her wet felting technique and the way she works, there is no waste. Any material left over from one piece can be repurposed for another. She also designs all her creations according to the zero-waste principle, ensuring that no materials go unused. This approach extends to her seamless garments, which are crafted in a single piece, eliminating fabric waste entirely.

She works exclusively with the wet felting technique, which encompasses various subcategories, including nuno felting, cobweb felting, 3D or relief felting, and other specialized methods.

She completes most of the work by hand, as her hands are her primary tool. However, she also uses simple tools such as wooden smoothers and rollers, watering cans and sponges, and felting needles to assist in the process. She shortens certain processes using machines adapted for new purposes. For example, she utilizes a grinding machine to accelerate the felting process and a specialized felting machine to enhance efficiency while maintaining the craftsmanship of her work.

Tools serve primarily as occasional aids in her creative process, helping to streamline or shorten certain tasks that would otherwise be more time-consuming or physically demanding.

She completes most of the work by hand, but shortens certain processes using electric powered machines.

In wet felting technique and the way she works, there is no waste.

Anja has her own workshop and store, which she has set up in an old house in the historic center of Škofja Loka. The workshop is a spacious area, with storage cabinets along one wall where she keeps her materials. The space includes two large work surfaces, where she both creates her pieces and conducts workshops. On the opposite side, she has a felting machine, as well as a niche with a sink, water access, and a work counter. In the lower part of the house, she has two separate rooms—one slightly larger and the other smaller—both serving as her retail space, where she showcases and sells her handcrafted felted creations.

She creates a wide range of products, including handbags, scarves (in various techniques), felted soaps, necklaces, brooches, footwear, clothing, bowls, and artistic wall pictures.

She creates products exclusively for sale, as this is her primary source of livelihood.

She primarily sells her creations in her own store, with additional sales through online platforms and various shops specializing in handmade and artisan products.

In addition to selling her products, she also offers group workshops, which she regularly conducts in her own studio or at the Škofja Loka Craft Center. She also provides individual, multi-week workshops or masterclasses, available through an online platform as part of the "Vacation with an Artist" experience.

Yes, when customers purchase larger items, she provides guidance on proper care and maintenance, which helps minimize the need for repairs. As a result, she rarely has to make repairs, with the exception of felted slippers, which are the most commonly repaired items.

Her customers are primarily middle-aged women who are highly educated and financially well-situated.

All of her products carry the Art & Craft Slovenia certificate, issued by the Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia. Originally, this certification was intended to recognize high-quality artisan craftsmanship. However, in recent years, the standards and criteria have become somewhat less stringent.

Her activity in leading individual workshops as part of the "Vacation with an Artist" program can also be seen as a tourism-related experience. So far, she has offered these workshops exclusively to international visitors.

Polovica žensk, ki je prišla k meni, ni vedela, kje je Slovenija, preden so do mene prišle. Tako da bi rekla lahko, da spodbujamo [turizem] na ta način. So prišle dejansko se k meni učit. (0:46:30)

Anja is a member of the Chamber of Craft and Small Business and the Škofja Loka Craft Center. She is also part of a textile hub, where she collaborates with three other local textile artisans on group projects. Together, they create large-scale textile installations for festivals such as BIEN (Biennial of Contemporary Textile Art Slovenia). However, she notes that she has limited collaboration with local institutions or academic organizations.

Anja highlights that craftsmanship is often perceived as merely a supplementary activity for older generations rather than a viable profession. She points out the widespread belief that one cannot make a living from crafts, a perception reinforced by the education system, which does not present craftwork as a legitimate career path. Another challenge she identifies is that, while handcrafted products are valued, their high price often deters customers, as many people do not fully appreciate the time, skill, and effort required to create such pieces. She also highlights the challenge that artisans often struggle to find time for developing new products or enhancing their skills, as they lack financial compensation or support for the time invested in innovation. Since their livelihood depends on the continuous production and sale of their existing products, dedicating time to creative development and professional growth becomes difficult.

Anja highlights that craftsmanship is often perceived as merely a supplementary activity for older generations rather than a viable profession. She points out the widespread belief that one cannot make a living from crafts, a perception reinforced by the education system, which does not present craftwork as a legitimate career path. Another challenge she identifies is that, while handcrafted products are valued, their high price often deters customers, as many people do not fully appreciate the time, skill, and effort required to create such pieces. She also highlights the challenge that artisans often struggle to find time for developing new products or enhancing their skills, as they lack financial compensation or support for the time invested in innovation. Since their livelihood depends on the continuous production and sale of their existing products, dedicating time to creative development and professional growth becomes difficult.

http://www.amuse.si/my-story.html https://www.centerduo.eu/kreativnice/anja-musek/ https://365.rtvslo.si/arhiv/vizionar-obrtnik-in-podjetnik/175079215 https://www.ra-sora.si/razstava-anja-musek-amuse/

Škofja Loka, Gorenjska, Slovenia