In Her Words
Gabriella Lutzu (L’Albero Padre)
From Gabriella’s brochure (translated from the Italian).
In Gallura, among inland hills covered with lush green vegetation, the small city of Aggius is a friendly tourist stop for those who want to immerse themselves in a tranquil way of being deeply rooted in local tradition. One of the oldest towns in the area, Aggius is the only one preserving the tradition of weaving entirely by hand on fully manual looms. Here, in the center of the old town, in the studio L’Albero Padre, Rita Gabriella Lutzu passionately preserves and exemplifies the art of the traditional Aggius handweaver.
In addition to weaving, Gabriella dyes much of her own fiber. The studio uses wool from Sardinian sheep; this wool is wiry and optimal for weaving rugs. The wool is colored with natural vegetable dyes (extracted from berries, roots, leaves, rinds, and bark of local flora) and masterfully mixed to produce a rich range of colors typical of the area. These traditional colors bring sunny notes to home furnishings and are the perfect addition to modern interiors.
In another method of producing natural colors, the undyed black and white wool characteristic of Sardinian sheep is carefully carded (brushed with steel bristles) to blend the natural hues. The wool is then spun into a fiber which the masterful handweaver uses to produce a textile that’s both natural and refined.
In addition, modern chemical dyes are sometimes used. While they may lack allure of the historical dyes, they add variety and brilliance to the weaver’s pallet of colors.
The designs are usually geometrical or inspired by nature. For instance, one typical design incorporates the hoopoe bird, call aia in the Sardinian Gallurese language. Other typical designs incorporate palms, daisies, and various flowers; once found only as a border on a weaving, they are now incorporated throughout an entire textile.
Contact
Email: gabriellalutzu@yahoo.it
Address: Via Antonio Lepori 8, 07020 Aggius (SS) Sardegna Italia
