AKT Magazine, issue IV, Belgium
2022
A
FLUID
CANVAS
Words: Micha Van Dinther
Setting out to ‘un-frame’ art, Atelier Alba Amicorum collaborates with painters, illustrators, photographers, writers and dancers in the creation of wearable textile art. Founder and artist Darshana Shilpi Rouget shares how a scarf – a simple square of fabric – can be a powerful medium of expression.
There is a well-known ancient Indian parable that tells the story of a group of blind men, who encounter an elephant for the first time in their lives. In an attempt to understand what it is they are facing, together they try to conceptualise it through touch. However, as each of the men reaches out to touch a different part of the elephant’s body – the trunk, the tail, an ear, a tusk and a leg – they begin arguing over its appearance, insisting that the other is wrong.
Born in Bombay into a family of artists, Darshana Shilpi Rouget remembers being told this story as a child. “It has had a profound influence on me,” she reflects. “The blind men are all accurate in their individual perceptions, but they will never come close to grasping the whole picture without considering each person’s point of view.” Acceptance is a skill that she therefore developed from a young age: “I learned more than just practical skills from my parents and their friends, but found value and interest in all of their differences. Being surrounded by artists, artisans and art has exposed me to many perspectives.”
These experiences have informed the human-centred approach that Shilpi Rouget has developed throughout her career. In 2016, she founded Atelier Alba Amicorum after two decades working as a creative director in New York. “I loved the collaborative process with other artistic minds. When we planned to relocate to London, I wanted to continue to bring like-minded creatives together,” she says.
Issue 4
We move away to become closer. AKT IV is an act of release.
Letting go. Losing control. Leaving for the countryside.This fourth issue of AKT documents the freedom of release. It follows creators who stray from the path and relinquish the rules of control.
Jewellery designer Catherine Rochtus lets materials speak for themselves. The trio behind Newchild gallery lets its artists be the guides. In an industry of followers, fashion creative Florence Cools values her autonomy. Darshana Shilpi Rouget encourages art to flow beyond its frame.
Moving closer into our true selves can be a journey as slight as leaning into assurance, or as strong as moving across an ocean. Julie Claes of Studio STRAF finds peace in the shade, while Tom van Dorpe finds his natural pace in Paris. Sometimes our destination can be found in the way we live and the buildings we inhabit. We travel with Axel Vervoordt through his home Castle ‘s-Gravenwezel and down a hidden path in the forest to his wabi pavilion designed with architect Tatsuro Miki. With architect Hans Verstuyft, we explore a minimalist family home near Antwerp that finds its heart in a historic footprint.
Many people journey their lifetimes to find the feeling of home.Writer Michael Gardner considers how time changes us and diverts us our paths – how memories of personal tragedy ripen, how the words of Zen master and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh resonate, and how 365 flowers can bloom and fade. His thoughts unfold to a rich, painterly and mystical photographic essay that asks us to keep looking deeper.
Through poetry, We contemplates the inwards journey to feeling present inside yourself – illustrated by the vivacious images of visual creator Ramy Moharam Fouad and make up designer Joek Janssens that capture the sense of unbridled individual freedom this can bring.