Texture has  been a defining feature in art since ancient Egyptians created sunken stone hieroglyphs, and Byzantines with their detailed mosaics. Depth and tactile feeling have always been woven into the history of art and continues on today in the modern art and design world.

With a full shift from uniform design, texture is making its comeback. From interior design, to classic forms of art, designers and artists are looking for new ways to have fun. A more tactile approach invites people to look closer and interact with the work around them. This trend celebrates the contrast between materials, creating visually engaging compositions and offers a way to make everyday objects feel more personal.

Texture across design

Rather than creating stark contrast, balance is key when experimenting with texture. When a good balance is achieved, combinations feel luxurious and complimentary to one another, rather than messy or overwhelming. Designers are reaching for materials that you can feel and that tell a story.

By mixing reflectivity, textiles, and natural materials, spaces feel exciting and interesting, while still bringing a feeling of comfort. Texture is not only taking the world of interior design by storm, it has also reached the fashion and cosmetics world. Makeup artists are also embracing texture by utilizing face embellishments, gloss, and eye looks with dense, bold colors. And fashion designers are reaching for materials such as pony hair, and beads to add tactile to clothing and accessories.

texture in Art

Other artists are finding ways to embrace physical texture in art. By creating large, immersive 3d works with paint, or using tools to create smaller tactile details in their work. Werner Bronkhorst uses paint to create abstract, sculptural backgrounds and miniature hyper-realistic paintings of people and objects in his art that tells a story. Kate Salinger uses large, coarse brushes in a curved motion to create pieces full of movement and feeling. Lastly, Stijn De Vos has dedicated his artistic practice to explore texture in a uniform pattern. Using a small paint spatula, he creates patterns by carefully placing thick dollops of paint across canvases.

At Local Language, we continue to embrace texture and everything it has to offer. For Royal Sonesta New Orleans, our artists created a piece featuring pearls painted in traditional Mardi Gras colors, arranged across a round canvas. Inspired by Mardi Gras, this artwork tells the story of this celebration through colorful, shimmering pearls, creating a beautifully textured composition that celebrates the glamour, energy, and theatricality of Mardi Gras.