This month, Out & About takes us to the Netherlands, where artists Zsófia Marx and Ellen Bakker are shaping something extraordinary—not just with felt and silk, but through the creative community they’ve built around their collaborative project, Artful Objects.
Marx, a felt sculptor, and Bakker, a silk painter, began their partnership by merging their distinct materials into one-of-a-kind forms. “There’s a secret chemistry within our work,” they said. “Two entirely different disciplines that lift each other up and create something new and exciting.”
That blend of difference and connection fuels not only their artwork, but also the way they teach. Through online masterclasses, they guide students from around the world in creating sculptural vessels—pieces that, over time, become deeply personal symbols.
“In Artful Objects, we create vessels that are more than sculptural forms,” they explained. “They’re containers of survival, inner transformation, resilience, and grace.” As the students shape curves, layer textures, and experiment with surfaces, their own stories begin to emerge. Confidence grows. The vessels become more expressive, more poetic—reflections of the inner journey taking shape alongside the outer one.
Papillon; 2025; silk, wool; silk painting, nuno felting; 14.5 x 12 x 12 in.
Gemini Amphora; 2024; silk, wool; silk painting, nuno felting; 16.5 x 10.5 x 10.5 in.
Ink in Water; 2024; silk, wool; silk painting, nuno felting; 15 x 10.5 x 10.5 in.
This process doesn’t happen in isolation. What sets Marx and Bakker’s teaching apart is the vibrant community they nurture. Their classes blend live demonstrations, detailed video tutorials, and group coaching, but the heart of it is the space they’ve created for real connection. In the private group, students share their breakthroughs and roadblocks, offer feedback and support, and witness each other’s growth in real time.
“When each student brings their own meaning into a vessel and then shares it with the group,” the artists explained, “it affects everyone. It’s no longer just about technique—it’s about witnessing each other’s transformation.”
Though the two artists live in different cities, their collaboration flows easily—sometimes through studio visits, other times through a quick video call while one is biking or painting. This long-distance rhythm has shaped their understanding of community itself; it’s not about location, but about presence, trust, and a shared creative vision.
They also carry this philosophy into their teaching. “We don’t believe in hierarchy,” they said. “True growth happens in closeness, in shared experience. The most powerful way to teach is to live the lesson ourselves.” That openness builds trust—creating a space where students feel supported enough to take creative risks and to step beyond craft into expressive making.
Marx and Bakker’s partnership reminds us that fiber art is more than fabric and form—it’s about the invisible threads we weave together. In Artful Objects, those threads stretch across continents and into the hearts of students who, through their hands and stories, build a creative community as strong and beautiful as the vessels they make.
Ellen Bakker: colorsofellen.com ׀ @colorsofellen
Zsófia Marx: zsofiamarx.com ׀ @zsofiamarx
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