Considered to be the mother of yarn bombing, Magda Sayeg’s work has evolved to include the knitted/crocheted covered bus in Mexico City, as well as her first solo exhibit in Rome at La Museo des Esposizione in the summer of 2010 .
What is ‘yarn bombing’ anyway? It has many other names such as guerrilla knitting, kniffiti, urban knitting is a type of street art similar to graffiti, but instead of paints and spray cans uses yarn and textile materials. The movement is attributed to Magda, who says she first got the idea in 2005 when she covered the door handle of her boutique with a custom-made cozy.
She continues to lead community-based projects and works on commissions around the world with companies such as Commes Des Garcon, Absolut Vodka, Insight 51, Mini Cooper, Gap, Smart Car as well as participating in shows at Milan’s Triennale Design Museum, Le M.U.R. in Paris, and the National Gallery of Australia, among others.
Her installations have also been featured prominently at American monuments to contemporary culture, such as The Standard Hotel, South By Southwest, and the Austin City Limits Festival. Magda has most recently expanded her artwork to encompass new mediums and techniques as with her solo show in Rome which explored the usage of lighting with knitted material.
She continues to expand her boundaries by joining integrated media company 1stAveMachine as one of their directors which will serve as a platform for new types of experimentation and collaboration.
Recent projects include an installation for Dover Street Market in NYC covering a column spanning 6 floors.