In Conversation with: Sabine Roth

Sabine Roth originally trained as a jewellery designer in Germany, she holds an MA in Textiles Mixed Media. She started her work combining traditional materials with contemporary techniques and has a profound knowledge of craft and materials. Her talent lies in combining traditional materials with contemporary techniques and in materialising the ephemeral as she uses new technologies as a research method and inspiration in her design process.

You graduated from Royal College of Art in 2015. What is something that really stuck with you from your time there?

People  – I have met incredible people with amazing talents throughout my time as a student. I feel very grateful having had the chance to get to know such an amount of talented people and still tearing from this network is one of the most valuable things I can take from my time as a student .

What inspired you to choose Textiles?

When I started looking into doing a Masters, I knew I wanted to do something that was not entirely related to my former practice. I chose Textiles Mixed Media because it had a lot of flexibility and was or still is an very open minded pathway. Additionally textiles has various application options. It is a versatile material which very much suits my personality as a designer. 

What currently inspires you?

I get inspired by a lot of different things. Most of my initial designs are inspired by the curiosity of mankind and our relationship with our body and space. I have an immense passion for architecture. However, I also feel most of my friends are creatives, too. They are an inspiration to my work as well. I am constantly uplifted by their energy. 

Going from your graduate collection to your commercial collections, how did you adapt your work?

I have followed two pathways since my graduation. One is more conceptual – which follows the footsteps of my collective called Peut-Porter and the second one is my jewellery collection which probably could be called ‘commercial’. Still a few years after my graduation, I have remained a hybrid between textiles and jewellery. I would not say that I had to adapt to a market – I’d rather say I had to find the right one. 

Can you give a pice of advice to current students?

Being an artist can be quite tough. It takes a lot of passion and commitment. However if you truly like what you are doing it is worth every worry!