Get ready to meet Santiago Celio Cioli, a talented embroidery artist from Nueva Helvecia, Uruguay. Fun fact: Uruguay shares a border with Brazil, my homeland, and my great-grandparents were from Uruguay, while my ancestors hailed from Spain. Now, let’s dive into his fascinating journey into the world of embroidery?

Interview: A Journey of Passion and Discovery.

Geovana: Santiago, could you share with us how your journey into textiles began?

Santiago: Sure, Geovana. My childhood was filled with creativity, surrounded by fabrics, threads, and dressmakers. My mother had a haberdashery in my hometown and I think it played a significant role in sparking my interest in textile design. After high school I decided to study Industrial Design in Textiles.

Geovana: That sounds fascinating. How did you transition from Industrial Design to focusing on hand embroidery?

Santiago: Doing the bachelor’s thesis for my degree in Industrial Design, a friend and I became intrigued by hand embroidery as a textile alteration technique and we wanted to use it in a modern way to reflect our national identity. WeI began researching and interviewing seasoned embroiderers, mainly women of various ages, who shared their stories and techniques with us. That’s how I learned so many beautiful techniques: beading, cross stitch, crewelwork, needlepainting, russian embroidery and some embroidery for tapestry as well.

Geovana: It’s impressive how you delved into the art form. What motivated you to start Santo Cielo?

Santiago: Despite briefly working in fashion marketing, my passion for embroidery never wavered. I founded Santo Cielo as a platform dedicated to celebrating hand embroidery and showcasing the work of artists like myself. It all began exploring more the world of embroidery and then I started doing portraits, that is my main subject nowadays. Dogs and Cats are my most common models but I don’t limit myself just to them.

Geovana: Moving on to your European journey, what inspired you to bring your expertise to Graz and offer workshops there?

Santiago:  In 2018, I moved to Europe and continued my craft while sharing my passion through workshops. Last year I decided to bring my workshops outside of Berlin and it’s been such an amazing rollercoaster. Not only I’m sharing my passion with all my students, but also I’m able to visit the most amazing places. Graz felt like the perfect place to bring my expertise and offer two exclusive workshops for embroidery enthusiasts.

Geovana: That sounds fantastic. Can you tell us more about the workshops you’ll be offering in Graz?

Santiago: Sure, Geovana. I’ll be hosting two workshops in Graz: “Embroider Tiny Flowers & Turn One into a Pendant” and “Under The Sea: Introduction to Raised Embroidery”. Both workshops will take place on July 21st in Soula DIY Salon. In the first workshop, participants will learn to apply different stitches to create a set of five tiny flowers and turn one into a pendant. In the second workshop, attendees will explore three-dimensional embroidery and create unique designs inspired by the sea. They are both suitable for beginners and comes with everything included.

Geovana: Thank you so much, Santiago, for sharing your journey and offering these exciting workshops. Let’s stitch together a tapestry of creativity and inspiration with Santo Cielo!

Santiago: My pleasure, Geovana. Looking forward to welcoming everyone to the workshops and exploring the world of embroidery together!

More information: https://santocielo.cc/workshops/