Maricor maricar biography
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Meet twins Maricor and Maricar who are making embroidery edgy
Embroidery and needle work may conjure images of grandmothers and Country Women’s Association fairs, but Maricor and Maricar Manalo's work is anything but twee.
The sisters try to steer away from “that craftiness" you might expect. Their hand-embroidered illustration has earned them a dedicated social media following, commercial and editorial work, and a residency in London funded by the British Council.
“We have more tongue-in-cheek lettering, and something with a bit more of a twist,” Maricor Manalo, one half of the design duo, tells SBS. “Because we were self-taught, we were ok with making mistakes, and not following the perfect technique.” She says that what drew them to embroidery was its personal nature. “You can feel it with every stitch. You can see where the personal touch has come from and the work has gone into it.”
The twins were two when they migrated to Australia from the Philippines with their family, and it was the first house they lived in in Sydney that inspired their love of tactile things. “One of the earliest memories I have is my aunt and my mum would make these paper cut out shapes,” Manalo expla
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Artisan Embroidery: MaricorMaricar
Sydney-based sisters’ Maricor and Maricar Manalo‘ describe themselves as “˜Makers of Things assorted’. They’re designers, illustrators and animators by trade, but in recent years have gathered somewhat of a cult following due to their incredible embroidery skills. ‘ Their hand-stitched typographic works are playful and geometric as well as bursting with color, and have earned MaricorMaricar commercial and editorial commissions years for prestigious clients such as ESPN, West Elm and TOMS shoes as well as a finalist nomination for Qantas’ Spirit of Youth awards in 2010, and a British Council funded residency in London.
Maricor and Maricar at work. Photo: Jacky Winter Group
The twins were born in the Philippines, but moved to Sydney when they were two years old. The pair describe themselves as “˜joined at the hip’ – they attended the same primary school, high school and did the same Visual Communications degree at the University of Technology Sydney. They did go their separate ways after graduating – Maricar worked in print and advertising while Maricor leaned towards motion graphics and animation. However, they soon found themselves working at the same design studio in S
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