Hello, I’m Alanah! I’m a self-taught architectural embroidery artist based in Florence, Italy.
I grew up in a tiny village in the south of England, and moved to Italy when I was 17 after falling in love with Florence whilst on holiday. The city immediately felt like home to me, as it does for many people who visit, and so I decided to move here for a 6 month adventure that turned out to be forever!
Living in such an inspiring city, I wanted to find my own way to pay homage to it. I have always been creative, but never managed to find my medium until I found embroidery during Italy’s first covid19 lockdown in March 2020. I adore creating pieces of embroidery for those who have experienced that same feeling of ‘home’ when they came to Florence, and especially for those who have been lucky enough to get engaged or married here!
If you’re interested in having your own piece of ‘home away from home’, visit my shop!
WHAT IS A CARIATIDE?
A caryatid (in Italian cariatide), is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support in the form of a column or pillar.
The idea for ‘Cariatide Embroidery’ was inspired by the caryatids of the Erechtheum temple in Athens. For me, they represent the strength of women, and how we, too, can support temples, whether it be a metaphoric temple, a household, or simply the temple that is our body. Despite what we go through, we remain strong.
WHAT IS A CARIATIDE?
Definition: A caryatid (/ˌkæriˈætɪd/ KARR-ee-AT-id; Ancient Greek: Καρυάτις, pl. Καρυάτιδες) and in italian cariatide, is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The idea for ‘cariatide embroidery’ was inspired by Greek architecture, in which female figures were sculpted into the columns that support temples. For me, this represents the strength of women, and how we, too, can support temples, whether it be a metaphoric temple, a household, or simply the temple that is our body. Despite of what we go through, we remain strong.
CONTACT ME
If you require assistance or have any questions regarding a potential collaboration, please feel free to contact me either via email or my instagram page! I aim to answer all messages within 3 working days.
