MAITE SOSA METHOL
Providence, RI | 401 749 3688 |
I’m a creative textile designer and digital/electronic artist currently pursuing my MFA in Textiles at the Rhode Island School of Design, specializing in knitting and the intersection of textiles and digital fabrication. As a Fulbright scholar from Uruguay, I bring a unique cultural perspective to my work.
My creative journey—much like a winding river—has flowed through diverse landscapes and languages, including textiles, apparel, costumes, new media, and digital fabrication. This serendipitous path has been guided by intuition, curiosity, and a deep desire to explore. Along the way, I’ve worked with light as a material to be embroidered, knitted, sewn, pleated, and animated; I’ve also experimented with 3D-printed structures and innovative biomaterials.
Inspired by nature—especially the oceanic landscapes of my home country—my work explores our evolving relationship with water. I’m particularly drawn to Uruguay’s profound cultural and spiritual connection to rivers and the sea. My practice reflects a passion for blending vibrant color, technology, and soft materials. Through my textiles, I investigate movement, transformation, and storytelling—pushing the boundaries of materiality and expression.
COLLABORATIONS & BIOMATERIALS
Developed during VIS-A-THON at RISD Nature Lab, this collaborative project with Coralie Rodriguez (Graduate School of Oceanography, URI) explores deep-sea through textile. The piece visualize a research on ferromanganese crusts—rocks formed from seawater that record ocean history— through knit. It brings the deep sea up, raising awareness about the environmental risks of deep-sea mining while emphasizing the ocean’s interconnectednes through the looping logic of knitting.
Materials: Merino wool, chemical dye, alum crystalsa and ferromanganese crust dust Techniques: Machine knitting, crystallization
In depth: learning from the ocean floor (2025)
Coralie Rodriguez and Maite Sosa
BIOPLASTICS
This project explores sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics through bioplastics and biosilicones made with natural ingredients like agar agar, gelatin, glycerol, and water. Additives such as hibiscus powder, turmeric, eucalyptus ink, flower petals, co ee, and essential oils were used to experiment with color, texture, scent, and finish. I tested di erent thicknesses and used laser-cut molds to explore material behavior and possibilities. This process opens new directions for future applications and deeper experimentation.
Recipes and full documentation available here: https://class.textile-academy.org/2021/maite.methol/assignments/week06/#class-notes
Bioplastic studies (2020)
BIOCHROMES
This project explores natural and sustainable alternatives to synthetic dyes, focusing on plant-based pigments. Both dye baths and inks were developed and tested on natural fibers and paper, examining extraction, processing, and application methods.
Materials: Plant-based pigments (hibiscus, turmeric, eucalyptus, onion)
Techniques: Natural dyeing, ink making
Recipes and full documentation: https://class.textile-academy.org/2021/maite.methol/assignments/week04/
Color Studies (2020)
CRYSTALIZATION
T his material-driven exploration is rooted in pure experimentation. Inspired by memories of the Uruguayan coast, it captures the stark contrast between white sea foam and deep ocean blue—an evocation of summer’s vivid, salty essence.
Materials: Cotton poplin, cotton-silk thread, aniline, alum powder, water Techniques: Shibori dye, hand knitting, alum crystallization
Material Study: Alum
Crystallization (2020)
Textiles 3D is an experimental research project focused on the development of new materials. It encompasses both aesthetic and functional exploration, pushing the boundaries between the digital and material realms.
A collection of twenty 3D-printed textile swatches was developed, designed using CAD software and printed with Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printers. The collection showcases designs ranging from articulated to chain-like and mesh structures. This project was exhibited as part of a solo exhibition at the Faculty of Architecture, Design, and Urbanism in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 2022.
TEXTILES 3D (2022-2023)
3D Printing
https://youtu.be/zUmR43vjpHM?si=JvFdy0DrznwbSVgc
Profundidad (translated as Depth) is a 3D-printed accessory crafted specifically for Uruguayan artist PHORO's concert—a unique fusion of electronic sounds, visuals, and scenic elements.
Made using transparent PLA filament, TPU filament, neon light wire, and a 5V battery, it was created through FDM 3D printing and embedded electronic circuits, with design work done using Blender and Rhinoceros software, and slicing through Creality Slicer.
The accessory evokes themes of depth, introspection, and fragility. Inspired by bioluminescence and the animal world, its subtle neon light creates a vivid contrast against the surrounding darkness.
(2023) 3D printed accesory
Profundidad
This 3D-printed costume was custom-designed for Uruguayan performer Lucia Mato, drawing inspiration from insect spikes and hairs. The research originated from a desire to merge traditional textile materials with digital tools. The piece distorts the human silhouette, enabling certain movements while restricting others, while also concealing the wearer's face and identity.
3D printed costume design
https://youtu.be/JpfNakCBk-E?si=ZMoouHN93GqMKRRf
Performer: Lucia Mato
Three-dimensional cones were printed directly onto microtulle, conceptualizing the costume as a second skin—one that challenges conventional clothing norms, evokes sensations of prickling and discomfort, and embodies transformation. Retopología inversa (2022)
Movimiento is a hybrid piece—part garment, part interactive costume, and part performance. In exploring ways to enhance human body motion, I used light as a poetic medium to make movement visible, resembling drawn traces.
The costume integrates an electrical circuit with a motion sensor, LED lights, and embroidered optical fiber. Using a camera, projector, and specialized visual design software, the dancer becomes a canvas, with light traces projected onto them, creating a dynamic feedback loop.
Movimiento: An interactive costume for amplified embodied performance (2021)
Dancer: Daniela Olivera Interactive Costume
https://youtu.be/Xh0YXBoMfDA
TEXTILES & APPAREAL
TEXTILE EXPLORATION KNITTING
Knitted dress inspired by my home, Uruguay, and my connection to water. In English, sea means ocean; in Spanish, sea is a form of the verb ser , meaning to be. This intersection of meanings guided my project.
I’m drawn to water’s fluidity, motion, and reflective surfaces. Noctilucas —bioluminescent organisms found along Uruguay’s coast—evoke mystery and play. I explore contrasts: light and dark, stillness and movement, alongside themes of magic and the sacred. These ideas influence my textile work and color choices: fuchsias, blues, purples, and iridescent tones.
Materials: Merino wool, Lurex
Techniques: Developed through machine knitting on a Silver Reed 280 single-bed machine
Sea (2024)
Photo: Ignea Rivero
Model: Romina Di Bartolomeo Makeup: Gaia
Assistants: Guzmán Bergereau and Cecilia Mieres
Knitted dress
Samples developed as an in-depth exploration of machine knitting possibilities—from structure, surface, and visual e ects, to scale, materiality, color, and technique. Inspired by Uruguay—its native flora like passionflowers—and infused with a sense of playfulness, contrast, and whimsy.
The collection includes punch card jacquard, partial knitting, pointelle, slipped stitches, tucked stitches, and a variety of embellishment and finishing techniques such as crystallization and embroidery with pearls and beads.
Materials: Merino wool, cotton yarn, silk yarn, Lurex, pearls, beads, alum powder
Techniques: Developed through machine knitting on a Silver Reed 280 single-bed machine
Explorations
in machine knitting (2024)
A collection of experimental knitted swatches created to explore the possibilities of the STOLL CMS 530 7.2 industrial knitting machine—focusing on materiality, structure, texture, and color. Inspired by Iemanjá, the Afro-Brazilian sea goddess associated with water and protection, the work draws on themes of fluidity and transformation through stitch and form.
Techniques include twill and net jacquard, plating, purl and knit structures, pointelle, tucked stitches, and floats.
Materials: Merino wool, viscose blends, polyester, lurex
Techniques: Industrial knitting
TEXTILE EXPLORATION SURFACE
DIGITAL PRINTING
Inspired by a trip to Ecuador and a fascination with tropical flowers, this project began as a digital artwork created by merging two photographs taken at a botanical garden in Quito. Captivated by the resulting color palette, I developed a repeating pattern that was printed on synthetic satin using textile sublimation.
Pixels and Fibers (2020)
Left: Digital artwork (1920×1080 px), Adobe Photoshop
Right: Printed textile (11.7×16.5 in), synthetic satin, Adobe Illustrator & sublimation printing
DIGITAL PRINTING
Luz de agua (Water Light) is a collection of patterns that explore digital printing, rooted in the magical realism of Latin Ame rica and inspired by Uruguay’s natural resources, myths, and cultural traditions. It draws from the bioluminescence of the ocean, marine life, constellations, and the movement of the sea. Each design captures glimmers—fragments of the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary. These liquid-like patterns glow with color, transparency, and light, crafted to awaken sensory wonder.
Created using Photoshop and NedGraphics, the designs were printed on Hanotai silk and organza using a Mimaki Tx300P-1800 Reactive Dye Printer.
Luz de agua (2024)
PLEATING
This series explores pleating as both a structural and expressive technique in textiles. The right piece stems from origami-inspired material experimentation, where organza is manipulated through handcrafted thermal pleating to create volume and form. The left piece expands on this approach by incorporating plastisol ink and silkscreen printing. By layering these techniques, the work investigates how texture, light, and opacity interact within pleated surfaces.
Ongoing experimentation continues to focus on enhancing movement and dimensionality. I’m especially interested in how pleating can activate textiles—transforming flat materials into dynamic, sculptural forms that respond to the body and space.
Pleating Studies (2021)
DIGITAL EMBROIDERY
May our tears become mariposas (2025)
"May Our Tears Become Mariposas" (translated as May Our Tears Become Butterflies) is a short animation where each frame is a digital embroidery, reflecting on themes of heartbreak and how pain manifests within the body. The work also explores vulnerability and anxiety, focusing on their weight, omnipresence, and unpredictability. I designed and created 12 digital embroidered pieces on cotton canvas, each in an 8-inch loop. Post-production included hand-embellishing with glass beads and sequins. https://youtu.be/vgfR88o99PY
Digital and hand embroidery
APPAREL
Inspired by the concept of "re-designing gender," this collection prioritizes comfort, movement, and vibrant hues for men, women, and gender non-conforming individuals.
Through an eclectic mix of silk satin, organza, cotton jersey, and cu fabric, the collection challenges traditional associations between sportswear and formalwear, as well as gender stereotypes. This fusion of materials redefines expectations—for example, questioning the idea that lightweight, drapey fabrics are inherently elegant or feminine, and that stretch, high-performance knits belong solely to sportswear. The result is a series of garments that are both functional and refined, enhancing movement and dynamism for every body.
Persona (2016)
Photo: Ruso Tomosky
Models: Melina Barrios and Joaquina Rijo Ready-to-Wear Collection