Tavla by Merida

Part of Sylvie Johnson’s Renaissance series, Tavla is a quiet study in depth– one that reveals itself slowly, through material and method.  It reflects a return to handwork, collaboration, and the belief that meaning is built through process. Here, that philosophy is distilled into a single, powerful technique—plying.

Plying allows Merida to build deeply rich color. Multiple strands are twisted together, each carrying its own tone and character, combining to create subtle variation in hue. In Tavla, this results in a surface that feels layered and alive—color deepens, shifts, and holds light differently across the field. What might appear restrained at first glance reveals remarkable complexity up close.

This is the kind of experimentation that defines the Atelier Period: Sylvie Johnson working in close dialogue with Merida’s artisans to push material understanding forward. Techniques developed here don’t remain isolated—they become part of our shared savoir-faire, informing everything we make.

See more of Sylvie Johnson’s work on display in Merida’s gallery in Suite 500 and discover The studio’s new book on the evolution of Sylvie and Merida Studio’s work throughout the eight-year-long– Atelier Period Atelier: Symphony of Yarn and is 300 pages of beautiful photography, reflections from the artist, and her poetic descriptions of the work.