Marianne's passion for weaving as an art, combined with her craftsmanship are clearly visible in her unique hand-woven pieces of work. She weaves new surfaces in which the conventional weaving techniques can not be recognized. She works in a meticulously precise manner to create surfaces that seem organically morphed. Each centimeter is studied, every rhythm calculated, each structure thought off. The warp and weft are central to the weaving, the 'added' is another natural material such as horsehair or vegetable raw fiber. The latter takes on the role of a transformer. Marianne’s exclusive designs with horsehair create an inner stillness through the serene recurrence of patterns. Other work is extrovert and playful and reflects exuberant cheerfulness.
Small bunches of horsehair are interwoven in linen, cotton, silk or wool. It is through a special way of molding, knotting, curling and looping that her designs become typical Marianne Kemp's. Through the different properties and qualities like texture, color and the shining of horsehair, the end result can be shiny and smooth - organic and wild - flexible and stiff. Besides horsehair she also uses other materials like dried plant fibers, cocos and bark fibers from trees.
After graduation at the Royal Art Academy in the Hague in 1999 she received a scholarship to achieve her Master at the Chelsea College of Art Design in London. Following this MA Marianne decided to stay in London and started working from Cockpit Arts Studios in Central London. She got back into weaving and her fascination using horsehair. In 2003 she returned to the Netherlands and kept weaving horsehair, the collection of designs and art pieces grew and as well her collection of looms. In her studio she has got five different looms, each has different weaving possibilities. The biggest has a weaving width of 140 cm, and the ability to weave carpets. For weaving complicated patterns, the Swiss loom Arm is perfect. The two other looms are used for weaving samples.
Her inspiration is coming from her inner world next to input from the outer world in street-life, fashion, architecture as well as nature or found objects. Sometimes it's the colors that attracts the attention, sometimes the shape or textures. Traveling within Europe and outside Europe to Mexico, Japan, Africa and Mongolia have generated a great interest in traditional art & design.
All weavings are made in house. Besides creating - Free style - art pieces she also works in commission for private clients and interior designers. Her weavings can be applied as lighting objects, to cover the body, to divide rooms, to bind different materials into wall panels or to cover windows. Woven upholstery fabric is also available as the “MK” range, mechanically woven at John Boyd textiles, UK.