With a crochet artist: a life in color and craftsmanship
Using yarn as her primary material, Dina Lea explores colors, shapes, and textures in a realm where art and craft meet. We spoke with her about the fascination with things that have a history, the joy of good craftsmanship, and how the aesthetics around us can influence both creativity and well-being.
Could you tell us a little about your work as a crochet artist, and how you arrived at this particular textile expression?
I have always been creative, and I would almost say I was born with it. My mother is a painter and taught me about colors, materials, and patterns. She can neither knit nor crochet, and perhaps for that very reason I was drawn to yarn — an unexplored medium that felt entirely my own. I was 10 years old the first time I had it in my hands and haven't been able to let it go since.
I experiment with colors, patterns, and forms that come to life through crochet patterns for accessories and interior projects. This spring I also exhibited, for the first time, large crocheted artworks (180 x 180 cm) at the exhibition "Handle with Care", which explored some of the emotions and experiences that life as an artist entails, for better and for worse.
What do you consider one of your biggest sources of inspiration in your everyday life — is it people, colors, materials, or something completely different?
My greatest source of inspiration is physical objects. Sometimes I find things on the street, in a trash room, or in a thrift shop that awaken something in me. It can be colors, patterns, shapes, or fine craftsmanship that inspires me. Lately I’ve been paying special attention to wood carvings; I’m fascinated by the time, precision, and love that go into them. I love to imagine and romanticize the stories behind the objects I collect: who owned them before me? How long did they take to make? Who made them and why? Was it a gift, perhaps a declaration of love?
I’m also greatly inspired by buildings and doors. I love going for walks and observing old buildings. When you look up, you often notice small quirky details and patterns that spark ideas for creative projects.
How would you describe your home, and what kind of atmosphere do you want to create in your space? Is there a connection between the way you work with yarn, textures, and shapes and the way you decorate?
The most important element of my interior is my love of color. I don't think I could function in monochrome surroundings. My style is a mix of very different things that share one thing in common: they spark joy in me. Almost everything in both my home and my wardrobe was bought secondhand, and I always have a story I can tell about it. Best of all are the items I bought while traveling, which bring back fond memories when I look at them.
What ties my crochet work and my approach to decorating together is my love and admiration for good craftsmanship. I'm proud to help keep an old craft alive through my crochet work and to inspire others to create things with their hands.
“I'm strongly influenced by my surroundings, so it's important to me to create a home where my creativity can thrive.”
How does the VETRO lamp fit into your home and personal style?
The VETRO pendant hangs above my dining table, where I do much of my creative work. It feels very majestic and sometimes almost magical, as if it watches over my creative projects happening right below. I love the colors and the playful candy stripes that match both my decor and my creative projects perfectly.
What is your relationship to objects that are both art and functional?
The interplay between function and art is exactly what I try to create through crochet. I hope that in the future we will demand more that objects not only serve a practical purpose but also have an aesthetic one.
Take, for example, old architecture versus contemporary concrete construction: the same function, but concrete buildings do not feed me with the inspiration, admiration, and meaning that older buildings do. Aesthetics are enormously important to my mental well-being. I am deeply affected by my surroundings, both for better and worse, and therefore it is important for me to arrange my space in an inspiring way so my creativity can thrive.
