Today we’d like to introduce you to Anya Molyviatis.
Hi Anya , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and grew up between Switzerland, Greece, and later the United States. My path to becoming a weaver was anything but direct. Before discovering textiles, I was deeply interested in architecture, design, and the ways our environments shape how we feel. Over time, I became increasingly fascinated by sensory experience, how color, texture, light, sound, and material can influence our perception of the world around us.
That curiosity eventually led me to weaving. While living in New Mexico, I apprenticed with traditional weavers, learned about natural fibers and dyes, and discovered a medium that felt capable of holding both structure and emotion. I later earned a BFA in Fibers from SCAD, where I began developing the dimensional weaving techniques that continue to define my practice today.
Today, I work from my studio in Austin, creating handwoven textiles on one of only twenty 40-harness AVL dobby looms in the world. Through hand-dyed color and complex woven structures, I explore how material can deepen our connection to ourselves, each other, and the natural world. What began as a fascination with making has evolved into a lifelong pursuit of understanding how weaving can function as a language, one that helps us better navigate the human experience.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has never been a completely smooth road, but I think that’s part of building something from the ground up. I started my studio because I couldn’t find an existing path that aligned with what I wanted to create, so I decided to build my own. When I started, I didn’t even own a loom. The first year was filled with uncertainty, learning, and taking risks. By the end of that year, I had acquired two AVL dobby looms and secured gallery representation with Ivester Contemporary.
One of the biggest challenges has been balancing the role of artist and entrepreneur. Running a studio means constantly shifting between creating work, managing projects, building relationships, fundraising, planning exhibitions, and thinking about long-term growth. The destination is always evolving. Every time I reach a milestone, I find myself dreaming about the next possibility.
While I’m very intentional about the structure and vision of the studio, I’ve learned that growth always brings surprises. Some of the most meaningful opportunities in my career have come from being willing to adapt while staying committed to the larger mission. When I’m preparing for an exhibition, it’s not uncommon for me to spend twelve-hour days in the studio for weeks at a time. The work requires a tremendous amount of dedication, but I genuinely love the process of building something that feels bigger than myself and watching it evolve over time.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a weaver and artist who creates three-dimensional handwoven textiles using hand-dyed cotton and mohair. My work explores how color, material, and structure can shape human experience, inviting viewers to slow down and become more aware of their relationship to themselves, each other, and the environments they inhabit.
What sets my practice apart is both the process and the ambition behind it. I work on one of only twenty 40-harness AVL dobby looms in the world, allowing me to create highly complex woven structures that push beyond traditional textile boundaries. While weaving has a long history, I am interested in how it can function as a contemporary language, one that intersects with architecture, sensory design, technology, sound, and our understanding of the natural world.
I am most proud of building a studio practice that follows its own path. Rather than viewing weaving solely as a craft, I see it as a framework for understanding relationships, systems, and human perception. Through exhibitions, installations, and ongoing research, my goal is to help expand the conversation around what weaving can be and how it can contribute to contemporary culture.
At its core, my work is an invitation to wonder. I want people to experience color not simply as something they see, but as something they feel. Whether someone comes to the work through art, design, architecture, or simply curiosity, I hope it creates a moment of connection and reflection.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I read constantly, and my bookshelf is a bit of a collision between psychology, mythology, spirituality, science, art, and fiction. Authors such as Carl Sagan, Joseph Campbell, and Alan Watts have been longtime influences because they explore many of the same questions that interest me as an artist: perception, meaning, wonder, and what it means to be human.
Some books that have stayed with me include The Spell of the Sensuous by David Abram, The One-Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka, and most recently Encounters with Art and Ourselves by Megan O’Grady. On the fiction side, I love Haruki Murakami’s The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka on the Shore. I also recently enjoyed The Book of All Loves by Spanish author and physicist Agustín Fernández Mallo, a beautiful novel that blends science, philosophy, and love in unexpected ways.
For podcasts, I regularly listen to 99% Invisible and Radiolab. Both have a way of revealing the hidden systems and stories behind everyday life, which feels closely related to how I think about weaving. I also love listening to narrated magazine articles through Apple News.
As for apps, I use Endel almost every day while weaving. Because my work is so focused on rhythm, concentration, and sensory experience, music with lyrics or sudden shifts can sometimes interrupt my flow. Endel creates adaptive sound environments that help me stay focused in the studio. I also use Open for meditation and breathwork throughout the day, which helps me reconnect with myself during long periods of making.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.anyamolyviatis.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anyamolyviatis
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anya-molyviatis-2103981aa/
