35 Unconventional Sewing Thread Artworks By VistulArt

There are two of us behind the name VistulArt – Dagmara and Dariusz, working together, avant-garde self-taught artists from Warsaw, Poland. As an artistic duo, we create unconventional artworks “painted” only with sewing thread. It is also no secret that we’re a couple offstage in private life. Art was one of the things that brought us to each other over 14 years ago and got us where we are now.

Our works are created with only three fixed components: a plywood board, several hundred steel nails placed along its edges, and miles of crossing thread in various colors, types, and thicknesses drawn between them. We don’t use any painting techniques; only and exclusively, the thread is responsible for creating the entire picture.

We hope our thread paintings will evoke pleasant emotions and people will enjoy our string art as much as we enjoy creating it. And remember! It’s only the thread, no paint, ink, dye, etc.!

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01. Elvis Presley – One Of The Most Significant Cultural Icons Of The 20th Century

Plywood, 60cm/23.5″ diameter
6000 connections
2.6km/1.6miles
Two types/colors of the thread

We use our methods and proprietary digital tools Dariusz developed from the ground up to design the paintings. It took nearly two years of work to consider ourselves ready to lay our artwork before the public.

Our string works are contemporary art on the borderline of new media and algorithmic art. To create it, we use a little-known technique called photorealistic and colorful string art. The lack of available know-how and ready-to-use tools, and the consequent need to develop one’s methods make this kind of string art a demanding and labor-intensive technique that only a few artists worldwide have mastered.

02. Pythia, The Oracle Of Delphi

40×70 cm/15,7×27.5″
15000 connections
5,5 km/3,4 miles of the thread
32 types/colors of the thread
356 nails

Inspired by J. Malczewski’s painting, 1917.

03. The String Scream

70×40 cm/27.5×15.7″
13400 connections
5.5 km/3.4miles of the thread
24 types/colors of the thread
356 nails

E. Munch’s painting, 1893, inspired me.

The need for creative work was one of the things that brought us to each other over 15 years ago and got us where we are now. Since art has always held a special place in our hearts and minds, we have long sought our niche in the art field. Until three and a half years ago, we found that special thing we both felt was missing in our lives. So, our art adventure started over three years ago with the pandemic-. The Covid lockdown and all the stay-at-home orders turned out to be a turning point for us. It was a chance to change our lives, start a new chapter focused on passion, and make it a serious, at least part-time job.

At the same time, we heard about this unique artistic technique for the first time. It combined modern technologies with an unconventional approach to contemporary art, so it immediately stole our hearts. We questioned ourselves whether we would be capable of creating this cerebral and challenging kind of art. The task proved ambitious, but the more demanding the challenge, the more Dariusz (who is, among other things, a software developer) wanted to take it on. So, it took long months to develop creative methods. Still, finally, Dariusz provided us with the first version of our working tool: software to design works of art created only using miles of intersecting threads.

04. The String-Art Portrait Of Marlon Brando As Don Vito Corleone, From The Great Movie “The Godfather” (1972)

Plywood, 60cm/23.5″ diameter
12600 connections
6 km/3,7 miles of the thread
24 types/colors of the thread
256 nails

An exciting feature of this innovative technique is the unusual way the viewer perceives the image. The more distance one looks at the picture, the more details one sees. The distance makes the shape emerge more and more clearly from the seeming chaos of crossing threads.

05. Steel M6

60cm/23.5″ diameter
12000 connections
5,5 km/3,4 miles of the thread
13 types/colors of the thread
256 nails

It’s a relatively new artistic technique, and there are no sources of knowledge, no ready-to-use tools, and they do not teach it anywhere. The need to develop all the know-how yourself from the ground up made the first two years the most challenging part for us. We developed our skills, learned by trial and error, and created the proprietary software to design our artworks. Today, it’s been more than three and a half years since we started working with this particular technique. Now, we can focus more on creating images than developing methods and building ourselves working tools. However, we are constantly improving our skills and honing our techniques.

06. String Venus

80 cm/31.5″ diameter
11000 connections
6,5 km/4 miles of the thread
Eight types/colors of the thread
300 nails

Inspired by S. Botticelli’s most famous painting, the mid-1480s.

07. Mademoiselle Poum Rachou

40×70 cm/15,7×27.5″
14000 connections
5.2 km/3.2 miles of the thread
34 types/colors of the thread
356 nails

T. de Lempicka’s painting inspired it in 1933.

How long it takes us to create one fully finished “painting” is one of the most frequently asked questions. There is no single answer; it depends on the actual thread painting. Usually, creating a thread painting takes a few days up to around two weeks.

While the intricate winding of miles of thread may seem like the most labor-intensive and time-consuming part of our work, it’s usually not. We often find that the first stage of creating the thread painting, which is “drawing” the digital design of the artwork, consumes most of the working time. Creating a design of a painting involves precisely planning the placement of every centimeter of miles of thread.

Among other things, we adjust the types and colors of threads we will use, set the order of the threads, and plan each of the dozens of layers arranged in the correct order. This continues until the result meets our expectations. Only when we are satisfied with the design can we begin the second, more straightforward stage of the work, which is winding the threads onto the nails according to the plan. It’s a time-consuming technique, but practice makes perfect, and one becomes more proficient over time.

08. String Portrait Of Tamara De Lempicka

60 cm/23.5″ diameter
15000 connections
7 km/4,3 miles of the thread
31 types/colors of the thread
256 nails

The artwork is made from an old, black-and-white artist’s photo.

09. Blue-Eyed Cat

60x60cm/23.5×23,5″
15000 connections
6.4 km/4miles of the thread
27 types/colors of the thread
356 nails

10. String Portrait Of A Couple In Love

40×70 cm/15,7×27.5″
15000 connections
5,5 km/3,4 miles of the thread
29 types/colors of the thread
356 nails

11. String Portrait Of A Polish Historical Figure, Jan Zamoyski

40×70 cm/27,5×15,7″
15000 connections
5.7 km/3,5 miles of the thread
28 types/colors of the thread
356 nails

12. String L’éclat

60 cm/23.5″ diameter
13660 connections
6,1 km/3.8 miles
19 types/colors of the thread
256 nails

T. de Lempicka’s painting inspired it in 1932.

13. String Girlfriends

70x40cm/27.5×15,7″
15000 connections
5.9 km/3.7 miles of the thread
19 types/colors of the thread
356 nails

14. La Sagesse

Plywood, 60cm/23.5″ diameter
11300 connections
5,1km/3.2miles
16 types/colors of the thread

The artwork was inspired by the great Polish Art Deco painter Tamara Łempicka and one of her paintings, “La Sagesse”, 1940-41.

15. Portrait Of The Fiancée

Plywood, 60cm/23.5″ diameter
13900 connections
6,3km/3.9 miles
15 types/colors of the thread

The artwork was inspired by the painting “Portrait of the Fiancée,” 1887, by the great Polish symbolist painter, one of Poland’s most revered painters.

16. Nike

Plywood 60x60cm /23,6×23,6″
388 nails
15000 connections
6,9 km/4,3 miles of the thread
23 types/colors of the thread

Jacek Malczewski, the great Polish symbolist painter, inspired the artwork. The portrait entitled “Nike of the Legions” was painted in 1916.
In Greek mythology, Nike was a goddess who personified victory in any field, including war, athletics, and art.

17. Saint Moritz

Plywood, 60cm/23.5″ diameter
14000 connections
6.6 km/ 4,1 miles of the thread
20 types/colors of the thread
256 nails

We are inspired by an artwork entitled “Saint Moritz,” painted in 1929 by Tamara de Lempicka, the great Art Deco diva and one of our favorite Polish artists.

18. Portrait In Abstract Colors #5

Plywood, 40cm x 70cm / 15.7″ x 27.5″
356 nails
12000 connections
4.4km / 2.7miles
19 types/colors of the thread

19. Four Seasons – Autumn

Plywood, 70cm x 40cm / 27.5″ x 15.7″
356 nails
15000 connections
5.6km / 3.5miles
24 types/colors of the thread

20. Mercedes 300 Sl Gullwing From 1954

70x40cm/27.5×15,7″
15000 connections
6,2 km/3.85 miles of the thread
27 types/colors of the thread
356 nails

21. The City Hall Historic Building In Zamość

70x40cm/27,5×15,7″
15000 connections
5,5 km/3,4 miles of the thread
25 types/colors of the thread
356 nails

22. Red Rose In Full Bloom

40×70 cm/15.7 “x27.5”
15000 connections
5 km/3.1 miles of the thread
17 types/colors of the thread
356 nails

23. String Enchantment

70×40 cm/27,5×15,7″
15000 connections
5,7 km/3,5 miles of the thread
36 types/colors of the thread
356 nails

Inspired by J. Malczewski’s painting, 1906.

24. Printed Circuit Board

60 cm/23.5″ diameter
9500 connections
3,4 km/2,1 miles of the thread
Seven types/colors of the thread
256 nails

25. String Art Artwork Inspired By The Portrait Of Leontyna Gogulska By Jacek Malczewski

Plywood, 60x60cm/23.5×23,5″
388 nails
15.000 connections
6,7 km/ 4,2miles of the thread
29 types/colors of the thread

According to Gogulska’s family, Malczewski wanted to paint the portrait because she reminded him of his beloved mother, who died in 1898.

26. Four Seasons – Winter

Plywood, 70cm x 40cm / 27.5″ x 15.7″
356 nails
15000 connections
5.5km / 3.4miles
34 types/colors of the thread

27. Portrait In Abstract Colors #1

Plywood, 40cm x 70cm / 15.7″ x 27.5″
356 nails
10000 connections
3.6km / 2.2miles
22 types/colors of the thread

28. Portrait In Abstract Colors #3

Plywood, 40cm x 70cm / 15.7″ x 27.5″
356 nails
14000 connections
5.3km / 3.3miles
30 types/colors of the thread

29. The Artwork Inspired By The Painting “Autoportrait (Tamara In A Green Bugatti),” 1929 (V2), By Tamara De Lempicka

Plywood, 80cm x 60cm / 31.5″ x 23.6″
548 nails
17000 connections
8.5km / 5.3miles
40 types/colors of the thread

30. String Art Painting Inspired By An Artwork Entitled “La musicienne,” Painted In Paris, 1929 (V2), By Tamara De Lempicka

Plywood, 60cm x 80cm / 23.6″ x 31.5″
548 nails
16000 connections
7.7km / 4.8miles
41 types/colors of the thread

31. The Artwork Inspired By The Painting “Saint Moritz,” 1929 (V2), By Tamara De Lempicka

Plywood, 60cm x 80cm / 23.6″ x 31.5″
548 nails
15000 connections
8km / 5miles
33 types/colors of the thread

32. John Paul II, The Second-Longest-Serving Pope In Modern History

60cm/23.5″ diameter
13300 connections
5,8km/3.6miles
15 types/colors of the thread

33. Four Seasons – Summer

Plywood, 70cm x 40cm / 27.5″ x 15.7″
356 nails
15000 connections
5.2km / 3.2miles
37 types/colors of the thread

34. Four Seasons – Spring

Plywood, 70cm x 40cm / 27.5″ x 15.7″
356 nails
15000 connections
5.2km / 3.2miles
47 types/colors of the thread

35. Portrait In Abstract Colors #2

Plywood, 40cm x 70cm / 15.7″ x 27.5″
356 nails
12000 connections
4.4km / 2.7miles
25 types/colors of the thread

Bonus Artwork: Portrait In Abstract Colors #4

Plywood, 40cm x 70cm / 15.7″ x 27.5″
356 nails
14000 connections
5km / 3.1miles
31 types/colors of the thread

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