Lemuria: the mythical art by Signe Emdal

At this year’s ZONAMACO, Signe Emdal presents Lemuria, a sculptural woven work that explores myth, material, and the quiet power of hand-made craft

ZONAMACO runs from 4–8 February 2026 in Mexico City, where Danish textile designer Signe Emdal will be showcasing Lemuria at the Centro Citibanamex.

About Signe Emdal

Emdal works at the point where tradition loosens its grip and something new takes shape. Known for her nuanced use of colour, texture and material, she approaches rugs-inspired textile art as slow, deliberate compositions. Her practice foregrounds process and touch, favouring subtle shifts in tone and structure over decorative excess, and placing long-term value above trend.

Her work feels both grounded and contemporary, with designs that carry the intelligence of the hand within the evolving conversation around craft-led design.

Emdal at ZONAMACO

At ZONAMACO, taking place from 4–8 February 2026 in Mexico City, Emdal will show Lemuria, one of her most atmospheric woven works, at Rademakers Gallery’s curated booth.

The design is woven from an array of British and Dutch wool, Swedish cotton, Icelandic wool and Italian mohair. Measuring over two metres in height, with a gently shifting width and subtle depth, the piece hangs lightly from an aluminium-supported stick, balancing physical delicacy with visual weight.

Emdal’s Lemuria is inspired by the mythical lost continent of the same name. Imagined in the 19th century as an ancient civilisation that vanished beneath the sea, Lemuria was used to explain similarities between species found in India, Africa and Madagascar before plate tectonics was understood. In art and literature, it has since come to function as a metaphor for memory and disappearance, evoking lost worlds that hover just beyond reach

The design reflects Emdal’s sculptural approach to textile, where colour, material and intuitive structure conjure an otherworldly presence on the loom.

The design also comes with a poem by Emdal:

Lemuria 

~ My Inner Ear of Planet Earth 

A current heart-centered civilisation 

With crystal gardens 

A continent of consiousness 

And light languages inside water crystals 

How can I weave my imagination around it? 

As the origin of cosmic essence 

They came from deep waters, as fish gods with two heads 

Androgynous giants 

And cosmic desendants 

~ My Inner Ear of Planet Earth 

Amid the rhythm of the fair, Emdal’s work invites the viewer to be inspired to make change to the world we live in, as Lemuria’s colourful positivity hangs above.

Words by Libbi Kettle