Three by Three: Guest Artists in Focus

QUESTION 2.    What role does imperfection play in the beauty of your stitching?

• ANSWER 2.   My process is highly detailed and deliberate—every stitch is considered—but I see beauty in the slight variations that occur through the hand’s natural rhythm. These subtle irregularities give the work its pulse; they’re traces of presence, not mistakes. Even within a precise structure, the thread can shift, stretch, or pull differently, creating a quiet tension between control and spontaneity. For me, that’s where the soul of the work lives—in the dialogue between discipline and the living, unpredictable nature of the handmade.

Bettina Kulakowski
Mixed Media Embroidery Artist

BIO: Bettina Kulakowski is a Dubai-based mixed media embroidery artist whose work fuses traditional craftsmanship with contemporary abstraction. She experiments with materials such as fabric, thread, wool, pearls, and natural gemstones—often repurposed from jewelry, clothing, and fabric scraps—to transform the discarded into something precious. Through layering and reworking, she creates intricate, tactile surfaces that invite close observation. Inspired by organic forms and natural structures, her art explores transformation, continuity, and the hidden beauty within fragments.

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QUESTION 3.    What story or feeling do you hope someone senses when they run their fingers over your finished work?

• ANSWER 3.     Although many people feel drawn to touch textile art, I prefer that my work be experienced through visual sensitivity rather than physical touch.

QUESTION 1.     Your medium has deep roots in craft and tradition—how do you make your work feel unmistakably your own?

• ANSWER 1. While embroidery has deep traditional roots, I approach it as an open field for experimentation rather than a fixed craft. I work intuitively, layering printed fabric, hand stitches, and repurposed materials like beads or jewelry fragments to create tactile compositions that feel alive and imperfect. By combining inherited techniques with unexpected materials and abstract forms, I move beyond decorative convention. My work becomes less about following tradition and more about reinterpreting it—transforming what is familiar into something personal, contemporary, and emotionally resonant.

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All copyright and reproduction rights are reserved by Bettina Kulakowski.
Artwork may not be reproduced in any form without the artist's express written permission.

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