Material Illusions and Sensory Perception – Sofie Aaldering

Finery, Sofie Aaldering, 2021

Sofie Aaldering is a contemporary artist who transforms materials like tulle and mesh into vibrant, sculptural forms. By manipulating these fabrics in unconventional ways, she creates three-dimensional works that blur the line between softness and structure.

Aaldering’s practice demonstrates a distinct process-led methodology, where meaning emerges through the physical transformation of materials rather than from a predetermined concept. Working with tulle, mesh, and transparent nylon thread, she experiments through cutting, layering, folding, and tensioning to discover new forms. Her approach reveals a deep sensitivity to material behaviour, investigating how fabric responds to touch, light, and gravity, allowing each work to evolve through direct, tactile engagement.

Her works also engage the senses. The delicate transparency of tulle and mesh invites viewers to move around the sculpture, noticing how light refracts and shifts through the layers. This dynamic interplay between perception, movement, and texture creates an affective experience that is both gentle and curious. Aaldering’s pieces operate not only visually but somatically, engaging the body’s sense of space and emotion through shifting materials.

In relation to my own practice, I also approach making as a conversation with materials, allowing form to develop through touch, repetition, and chance. While Aaldering’s works evoke curiosity and lightness, mine explore vulnerability and the uncanny. Both rely on embodied knowledge that meaning arises through the body’s interaction with matter. I am particularly drawn to the optical illusion she achieves with her floating pompoms, created by attaching them to a tulle base using transparent nylon wires so they appear suspended in air. Similarly, I often use felted spheres in my sculptures, connecting them with red sewing thread. Adapting Aaldering’s technique could extend this dialogue between visibility and illusion within my own work. Her practice shows that creating art is more than execution. it’s a way of thinking with the hands and feeling through materials, where the artist discovers meaning by engaging directly with the process.

Aaldering, Sofie. “Finery.” Sofie Aaldering (website). Accessed October 2, 2025. https://www.sofieaaldering.com/finery.