Giulia Crețulescu creates fiber art from synthetic fabric sourced from a Ford automotive factory near her hometown of Craiova, Romania. Her work features geometric, torso-sized wall-mounted shapes with bondage-like straps and repurposed industrial seatbelts, blending found and handmade elements. After completing a PhD in graphic arts in Bucharest, she turned to sewing to resist the speed of digital design, producing non-functional, armor-like abstractions. Her recent exhibition at Fragment Gallery in New York showcased her unique approach, which also incorporates inspiration from motorcycle gear and medieval armor.
Crețulescu's work matters because it challenges prevailing trends in fiber art, which typically emphasize natural fibers and folk traditions, by using synthetic, industrial materials. Her practice addresses environmental concerns about textile waste, as she repurposes deadstock and factory remnants, refusing to create functional items that would contribute to landfills. By making synthetic fabric feel tactile and even "sexy," she redefines the material's aesthetic potential and engages viewers on a bodily level, offering a contemporary twist on Minimalist ideals of physical interaction with art.