The Dwell 24: Tiffany Loy

Singaporean designer Tiffany Loy describes the weaving loom as the earliest computer, its products a binary system of threads going under and over one another to create images. Her work—shaped by studies in Singapore, England, and Japan—unpacks thousands of years’ worth of knowledge and techniques. 

With weaving, "there is so much that one can discover," Loy says. "For example, the same white threads used to weave two different fabrics will result in different shades of white, since the behavior of light and shadow depend so much on the texture." 

Though she works with an eye to the past, her creations are inventive and often delicately complex. Her Pastiche textile layers two patterns: Zigzagging fine blue woven lines run over bold painted yellow lines. The composition distorts when stretched over the folds of a Zanotta Sacco bean bag chair, turning a familiar form into something new and beguiling.