Jakup Fer's tapestries create everyday life even in England

"Create/Elevate" is the theme of the third edition of the "Harewood Biennial" in Leeds, England, and there the universe of Jakup Ferri's everyday life will be "created" and "elevated" through his tapestries. “It's a bookstore in the Harewood building, it's like a museum. It has bourgeois interiors. I am working with an office of architects there with whom they will cover the space", said Ferri

Everyday life is one of the themes of the artist Jakup Ferri in his works. People who walk, play, contemplate, various animals and others that make up the mosaic of life, are protagonists in the embroidered tapestries. In them, life is woven with simplicity. No borders are defined, universality is the place. Such works will be shown in Leeds, England as part of the "Harewood Biennial". 

Two years ago, the artist Ferri was going to represent Kosovo in the 59th edition of the Venice Biennale. The Kosovo pavilion would bloom with colors. "The monumentality of everyday life", as his installation is titled, covered the walls and floor of one space in Arsenal's "Sale d'armi" with unique works. 

The colorful works of Hell, among others, also affect dreams. They will be able to be seen at the British biennial in the city of Leeds, England, where the artist who lives between Kosovo and the Netherlands will show about 70 works which include new works, and those with which he represented Kosovo at the Venice Biennale, which this year is holding its 60th edition.  

"During this time I have done new things, since it has been two years since that event (in Venice last year) I will do some combination with what was exhibited with the new works. There, the space is a little smaller than the Kosovo Pavilion. I don't know how the installation will be there. There are about 70 works, then it is decided how many will be installed", said the artist Ferri in a conversation with KOHEN. 

The embroidered works of the artist will take place in the Spanish Library located in the "Harewood House Trust" building. 

“It's a bookstore in the Harewood building, it's like a museum. It has bourgeois interiors. I am working with an office of architects there, with whom they will cover the space", said Ferri, whose practice is mainly upholstery, but not only. The Harewood Biennale focuses on a particular group of artists. 

"The Biennale aims to present the works of artists who work with crafts from all mediums, from textiles to ceramics and various designs. This time it is curated by two Englishmen: Ligaya Salazar and Darren Pih. They have seen the presentation I had at the Kosovo Pavilion in Venice. It's been two years since they contacted me in order to send what they saw to the Biennale in Leeds". 

This year is the third edition of the "Harewood Biennial". The event takes place from June 28 to October 20 under the theme "Create/Elevate". It is recognized as the leading craft biennale of its kind outside of London. According to the presentation of the event, the works of the artists will be exhibited inside "Harewood House" and in its gardens. It presents the creativity of artists, designers and collective groups. 

“The historic and beautiful works of art within 'Harewood House' were created by many of the most revered artisans and designers in history. 'Create/Elevate' responds to this artisan heritage. The main theme explores craft as a means to connect with and learn from others from different generations and continents. The exhibition offers a multi-sensory experience, with ceramics, textiles, jewelry, furniture and sculptural installations", it is announced in the presentation of the "Harewood Biennial", which is illustrated with the photograph of the colorful works of the artist Ferri exhibited in the Kosovo Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. 

Curator Ligaya Salazar is an independent curator focused on contemporary interdisciplinary practice at the intersection of design, craft and art. While Darren Pih is the artistic director at "Harewood House" and has over 20 years of curatorial experience including the initiation and realization of major exhibitions that explore environmental, social and cultural themes. 

With the "Frequency of Openness", Ferri had revealed his world in 2022 at the nomadic art biennial "Manifesta 14" in Pristina, on the eighth floor of the "Grand" hotel in the collective exhibition "Green wedding to the earth - on ecology". 

"Harewood Biennial" is the first serious event in which the artist Jakup Ferri is presented to the public in England. 

"I'm looking forward to getting more familiar with the English scene, it's not like I've had much experience in England. I have only had one personal exhibition that was more of a musical space than an exhibition. This is the second time I am exhibiting in front of the English public, this time is much more serious than the first. I have lived for a long time in the Netherlands, in Germany, I have had various activities in Europe, but I have not connected with England either", said Ferri, revealing some of the new works that have been created for this Biennial. 

"There will be different types of works, from the more fantasy stuff like different flying ships to the more everyday stuff. It's a new architecture series that I've been working on. It touches on several different topics that are included in the title of the Biennale", said Ferri. 

Immediately after the last war, the artist would enroll in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Pristina. After graduation, he would return to drawing and painting. Some time was given to video installations. In 2007 he would go to the Netherlands where he would become part of the classical academy "Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten" founded in 1870, which supports visual artists through a two-year program.  

In the "Harewood Biennial", in addition to Ferri, Rebecca Chesney, Emefa Cole, Rosa Harrafine, Jan Hendzel, Mani Kambo, Hew Locke, Temitayo Ogunbiyi, Lucia Pizzani and Xanthe Somers also exhibit. While from the collective groups are "Arabeschi di Latte", "BEIT Collective", "Botanique Studios", "Britto Arts Trust", "Common Threads" and "Modular by Mensah".