Tapestry by artist from Porto on display at Heathrow Airport

The artist Vanessa Barragão, who founded a studio in Porto in 2014, created a botanical world-map, representing the different ecosystems. The tapestry will be on display during the summer at Terminal 2 of the London Airport.

The 12 square meters artwork was handmade with ancestral techniques as latch hook, crochet and felt using 8 kg of jute and cotton and 42 kg of recycled wool. This piece took more than 520 hours to weave. It was set up in Heathrow Airport last week and the aim is to celebrate the cooperation of the airport with the Kew Botanical Garden, in London. 

The tapestry was designed and hand-woven by textile artist Vanessa Barragão, who drew inspiration from the natural ecosystems all over the Globe.

Therefore, the artwork features six plants from some of the most popular destinations that depart Heathrow and that are also part of the conservation work carried out by Kew Botanical Garden, namely the Maidenhair Tree from Japan, the Bulbophyllum Orchid from Indonesia, the Coffee and Cola Nuts from Africa, as well as the European orchid Paphiopedilum primulinum.

The diverse climates and topographies of planet Earth are also represented in Vanessa Barragão tapestry, including the Australian and African deserts, conveyed in warm colours and short lines, next to the flourishing tropical forests of South America and the high summits of Central Asia, represented by long lines in order to create volume.

In a statement issued by Heathrow Airport, Vanessa Barragão encourages travellers and passengers to take a close look at the tapestry when departing and returning to and from summer holidays.

The artwork will be on display till the end of August, when it will be moved to another location in Terminal 2, where some flights land and take off to and from Portugal.

Vanessa Barragão was born in Albufeira, but currently lives in Porto, where she runs a studio, founded in 2014, as the Northern Region of Portugal is the core region for the textile Industry.

Click here for further information on Vanessa Barragão artwork.