Meet Loops Artist – Monika Loster

Monika Loster is a Polish-born artist based in Amsterdam. She tells us more about her involvement with the Loops exhibition.

My practice centres on fibre-based works and often larger-scale installations combining mesh structures with textiles. While I explore a wide range of materials and techniques, from mixed media works on paper to sculptural forms, hemp fibres have been a constant focus for over 15 years. Most pieces are developed in my Amsterdam studio, but I devote time to adapting and letting the work grow into each exhibition site, allowing the location to shape the final outcome.

How did you get involved with the Loops exhibition?

In the Autumn of 2023, I took part in an art residency at Sunny Bank Mills, where I learned to weave using both floor and table looms. The woven samples I produced during this time were integrated into a site-specific piece titled The Viewfinder, which is also part of the Loops exhibition.

Following the residency, I began developing a new project to return to Sunny Bank Mills. My proposal was met with enthusiasm, and the idea expanded into a collaborative effort involving artists from the Netherlands and the Yorkshire area, coming together to create something unique to the site.

How did you find responding to the theme of loops?

Responding to Loops, my first cycle revealed itself in returning to Sunny Bank Mills. The site, and the community that sustains it, draws me back repeatedly. Hearing Rachel Moaby from the Museum & Archive describe how the Mills’ true legacy lies in the hands of the people who wove its cloth helped me realise that those human connections form the strongest loop of all. In this project, I delve deeper into the themes of growth and transformation that run through my work, mirroring the natural cycles we experience within ourselves and in the world, where every ending seamlessly becomes a new beginning.

What loops inspired your work in the exhibition?

I was drawn to loops of interconnection, how individual actions feed back into a larger whole. From the communal networks at Sunny Bank Mills to the cyclical patterns we see in nature, I wanted to reflect that shared experience. By adding multiple textile layers (cotton, wool, flax, hemp fibers stitched or embroidered) into mesh structures and layering sculptural elements, I aimed to evoke both continuity and exchange: the way one gesture leads to another, how materials and people influence each other, and how an artwork comes alive through that ongoing dialogue.

What is special to you about the exhibition Loops?

What I find most special about Loops is the collaborative process behind our central installation. By weaving our individual works together, we created something that is at once meaningful and  playful. Installed in the space between the pillars, it unfolds like an immersive artist’s playground, inviting viewers to explore and engage. Equally inspiring is the diversity of approaches among the textile artists in the show: although we all share a love of fiber, some of us bring highly technical, craft-driven methods, while others focus on sparking dialogue or posing questions for the audience. That blend of technique, concept, and collaboration makes Loops a truly dynamic experience.

Have you ever worked collaboratively as an artist before? What have been the challenges and joys this time, or for the first time?

I have, multiple times, both on touring projects across Europe (from the Netherlands through Germany to Scandinavia) and on local, site-specific collaborations. Each fostered exciting exchanges of technique and perspective. This time, however, was particularly challenging: We had to consciously set aside our ego, experiment freely, and create space for others’ ideas. Yet that very process proved its greatest joy. Rather than simply assembling individual works side by side, we wove our contributions into a singular, interdependent installation, and experiencing that authentic unity became the most rewarding aspect of collaborating.

As an international visiting artist, what do you think of Leeds?

I find Leeds more inspiring every single time. This is my third time here, each visit bringing a new project and fresh encounters with its warm, engaged audiences and vibrant arts community.

What has been your experience of creating art at Sunny Bank Mills?

My experience creating at Sunny Bank Mills has been very positive. The site provides dedicated studios and workspaces that make it easy to develop pieces for exhibitions or special projects. There’s always something happening, workshops, talks, and Open Studios, and the active artist community keeps the atmosphere both stimulating and supportive.

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