As a child I grew up in the South of Amsterdam, with the famous Vondelpark around the corner and On the edge of the neighborhood the Amsterdam forest. I used to go horse riding every week, and while most kids of my age went to a manège where they learned how to ride properly, how to add their helmets and their special boots, I went to a stable in the forest near my home and learned to ride a huge black horse wearing my willies and no helmet.
I loved our trips in the wood and although I haven’t ride a horse for decades my love for horses never faded, no wonder I love the work of textile designer Alexandra Kohl. I previously wrote about a daybed she collaborated on with furniture designer J.M. Szymanski: A daybed different from all other I recently came across her work again through Instagram where I saw her woven pieces.
The material she uses for her wall hangings, head boards, pillows and other pieces are cotton and horse hair. Many of her pieces use hair from the horses who are rescued and rehabilitated by Our Farm in North Salem, NY. She has created a number of extraordinary custom textile works for avid riders with hair from their horses’ manes or tails. I totally love the different colours in her work and love to give you a small impression of these one of a kind creations on the blog today.