Maria Sigma: Weaving a New Tradition
Maria Sigma’s handwoven textiles fuse Greek mythology, sustainable craftsmanship, and a zero waste ethos, creating contemporary heirlooms that honour both tradition and the planet.
Award-winning textile designer Maria Sigma is redefining sustainability in craft through an approach deeply rooted in her Greek heritage. From the myths of Theseus and Ariadne to the sun-bleached textures of the Aegean, her textiles embody a timeless connection to place, technique, and storytelling.
Natural fibres (undyed wool, alpaca, linen, and recycled cotton) form the foundation of her work. But it is wool, with its endless adaptability, that captivates her most. Often woven on a floor loom in muted, earthy tones, each piece is an exploration of material, texture, and history. The Ariadne throw, named after the heroine who guided Theseus from the Minotaur’s labyrinth, plays with thread as both structure and story, while Theseus, hand-crocheted at the edge in Aegean blue, honours the escape route that led him to freedom.
‘I have always believed in the importance of weaving; fabrics reside in the everyday and inhabit almost every corner of a household; they create a boundary between us and nature, the culture of the body and the external world.’
Maria’s background in textile conservation in Greece and studies in textile design at Chelsea College of Art inform her meticulous approach. Her designs deconstruct and reimagine traditional weaving techniques, rejecting rigid symmetry in favour of organic, evolving forms. Sigma deliberately discards the pursuit of perfect symmetry and eschews 'self-punishing' techniques that leave no room for creative exploration. She prioritises sustainability at every stage, minimising waste, reducing carbon footprint, and limiting reliance on machinery.
By embracing imperfection and the raw beauty of natural materials, Maria Sigma creates heirloom textiles that feel both contemporary and ancient; woven fragments of history, reimagined for a more conscious world.
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