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TONI GARAU

ART IS THE MAGIC OF CONVEYING EMOTION

The thread is the main element
of a collection of works of art.

Toni Garau (Sóller, Mallorca 1974) a well-known Solleric artist who is sensitive to the history of the textile industry in his town and the revolution it brought about, wanted to pay homage to a whole generation of workers (men and women) who, with their effort and dedication, made the town of Sóller a prosperous one full of hope. Toni Garau’s work is a reinterpretation of the use of a material with a history, thread, turning it into the main element of a collection of works of art; at the same time, a part of the history of Mallorca is presented which, in an artistic way, is prolonged in time up to this very moment.
“Looms, shuttles, bobbins, warping machines, heddles, warp beams. Threads that pass in and out, over and under. Threads that cross and intertwine with each other without apparent direction. Threads that tell stories and have spun generations. Cotton threads, often camouflaged with the colour of natural Indian. Yarns that become a fabric popularly called ‘tela de llista’. Looms that stopped weaving the memory of a people. Yarns that have been forgotten”.

The last decades of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century were a period of profound transformations in Sóller, brought about by the creation of many industries, most of which were created primarily to supply domestic consumption, but also for export. Sóller’s isolation from the rest of the island and the availability of a commercial port further encouraged the enterprising sollerics to set up businesses and industries of all kinds: from textile factories to electricity companies and the construction of a railway.

Garau reinterprets this industrial past in the form of art; from the threads, they take us into the collective memory and history of a village in Mallorca’s Serra de Tramuntana, giving life to a material that was dead.

His work is based on the background related to the textile past of his hometown, but radically changes its form and position, resulting in a sculptural work of simple and elegant lines.

Exhibitions 2024
6 September 2024
LLUM

We present the new collection by Mallorcan artist Toni Garau, whose work focuses on exploring light and color through the technique of thread painting. His unique and captivating pieces reflect a personal and contemporary vision of Mallorca’s industrial past.
Garau was born and raised in Mallorca, and from a young age, he showed a great interest in the textile world. He began experimenting with different materials and techniques, discovering in thread a new technique to create artworks that explore the relationship between light and color.

Although his work draws inspiration from the industrial past of the island of Mallorca and its cultural roots, Garau pushes the technique of painting with threads to new frontiers, creating a modern and minimalist aesthetic in each of his pieces. His innovative approach and ability to combine technique and emotion make each artwork a unique visual and emotional experience.