Anita Sarkezi was born to working-class Slovenian migrant parents in Sweden and returned to Slovenia during her school years. She has since then lived in several European countries. She moved to Scotland in 2018.

Her multidisciplinary textile design practice explores the interconnected histories of rural material culture, geopolitics, and post-colonialism in Central and Eastern Europe. Her research and creative practice engage critically with the notion of culture and territories as a construct that is politically determined by those in power. Through her work, Sarkezi strives to challenge the idea of 'purity' of culture and tradition as archaic concepts and borders as determined and fixed geographical entities.

Using the TC2 digital jacquard loom, Sarkezi imagines an alternative cultural space and landscape using personal and appropriated imagery, with bold and gradient uses of colour and self-curated imagery. The movement of the weft threads represents a continuous journey, while the interlocked woven stitches describe a sense of grounding and a connection to a specific place. In her textile work, Sarkezi sees weave structures and grids as tools for political assertion and an outlet for her narrative as a migrant.

Photography: Lara Ritter Cruz