Embroidery Paintings

The embroidery paintings follow a natural evolution in Grassi’s practice by incorporating silk and cotton threads that are embroidered into her work. Grassi’s painted works have often been mistaken for weavings, with the embroidery work going even further in creating an ambiguous space between craft and painting. She enlisted the help of her close childhood friend, former fashion designer Francesco Naccarato, who meticulously followed Grassi’s drawn and painted lines by incorporating stitching and french knotting into the raw linen and canvas. The intuitive and creative dialogue between the two friends was initiated during the 2020 lockdowns, reflecting their parallel meditative practices with countless hours engaged in a repetitive manual labour, a stand-in for their social interaction during a time of isolation.