Artists Using Thread Painting in Abstract Art

Thread painting in abstract art goes beyond embroidery. Phoenix-based contemporary abstract artist Ritu Raj uses twine dipped in oil paint as his brush, creating organic, fluid compositions that blend precision with spontaneity. Discover how this innovative approach redefines abstraction with texture, movement, and meaning.

Thread painting has long been associated with embroidery and textile arts, where delicate threads are stitched onto fabric to create intricate designs. In contemporary abstract art, however, artists are reimagining this concept in innovative and unexpected ways.

Traditionally, artists who incorporate thread into their work use it as material rather than as a tool—embroidering onto canvas, weaving sculptural installations, or layering textiles to create dimensional compositions. Sheila Hicks, for example, is renowned for her monumental fiber sculptures that merge craft and abstraction. Chiharu Shiota transforms entire gallery spaces with dense webs of thread, evoking memory, connection, and presence in profoundly immersive ways.

My practice diverges from these approaches. Rather than using thread to build surface texture, I use twine dipped in oil paint as my primary painting tool, pulling it across the canvas to create fluid, organic gestures. This method arose from my desire to find a mark-making approach that feels both precise and unpredictable—something beyond the limitations of brushes or knives.

Oil paint is essential to this process. Its slow drying time and rich viscosity allow the twine to glide across the surface, leaving behind sweeping lines and layered forms that evoke natural phenomena: the curve of a river, the swirl of wind, the quiet movement of growth. Each stroke becomes a record of improvisation—where control and surrender coexist, and the textured marks of twine become integral to the visual language of the painting.

This practice transforms painting into a collaboration between material, gesture, and chance. Unlike embroidery-based approaches, where forms are predetermined by pattern, my twine painting method remains spontaneous and deeply embodied—capturing both motion and stillness within each stroke.

In contemporary abstraction, this exploration of unconventional tools and materials remains a niche but growing frontier. Using twine as a painting tool not only expands the possibilities of oil on canvas but invites viewers to experience abstraction as something deeply tactile, innovative, and alive. Each work stands as a testament to the power of rethinking tradition, proving that even the simplest materials can open entirely new dimensions in art.