ATELIER IRIS NIJENHUIS
Craft for the Curious - Modular Textiles
Iris Nijenhuis is an Amsterdam-based artist whose work bridges craftsmanship and innovation. With a background in fashion and product design, she transforms textiles into dynamic, modular structures, entirely created without stitching or glue. Her work ranges from bold wearable pieces to sculptural objects, each assembled like a puzzle.
Nijenhuis developed her signature technique while studying at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute, where she explored unconventional methods of textile construction. Through extensive experimentation with laser cutting, she discovered how to deconstruct fabric into small, interlocking components and reconstruct them into new, flexible surfaces. This puzzle-like process is adaptable, repairable, and constantly evolving.
She uses all kinds of textiles, such as artificial leather, artificial suede, softshell, scuba, and spacer fabric. Most pieces are hand washable, if necessary.
Through DIY workshops, she also shares her modular technique with the audience. Her wearable designs are featured in museum shops worldwide, often as limited editions matching the museum’s running exhibitions.
