Abstract
This paper uses the Bauhaus “women’s class” weaving workshop as a starting point to explore the gendered division of labor in domestic textile production, the impact of industrialization on female labor, and the evolving social roles of women in design. It analyzes how the weaving workshop, though initially marginalized within the Bauhaus hierarchy, became a space of innovation, where women integrated craft, technology, and modern aesthetics. As female self-awareness gradually awakened, the workshop’s pedagogy, media applications, and social engagement also evolved. Through case studies of key figures such as Gunta Stölzl and Anni Albers, the paper demonstrates how these women challenged traditional gender roles and laid the groundwork for future developments in fiber art and modern design. Furthermore, it situates their contributions within broader feminist and socio-economic contexts, emphasizing the historical significance of their practices and how they continue to inform contemporary discourse on gender and design. By examining the transformation of textile work from domestic labor to institutionalized modern design practice, the study under-scores the critical role of women in shaping modernist visual culture.
References
Angeleti, G. (2025). Woven histories: Textiles and modern abstraction. The Art Newspaper.
Bauhaus archiv Berlin, & Droste, M. (1990). Bauhaus 1919-1933.
Chen, H. (2009). The inner conflict between the weaving world and the identity of female artists [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. China Academy of Art.
Gümüşer, T., Erdogan, E., & Öztürk, B. (2024). Reading Bauhaus at the intersection of architecture and weaving. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Cultural Intersections in Design.
Li, D. (2019). Bauhaus women and foundation course. Chinese Art, (01), 24-31.
Li, J. (2022). From Bauhaus to Montenegro [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. China Academy of Art.
Liu, J. (2019). Textile woman, mother, goddess [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. China Academy of Art.
Mao, W., & Le, Y. (2021). Female designers’ intervention and construction in Bauhaus design education. Journal of Wuyi University (Social Sciences Edition), 23(04), 54-58, 91-92.
Nowak, E. (2025). Functional fibers: Women of the Bauhaus and their modernist weaves. Tatter.
Otto, E. (2019). Bauhaus women: A global perspective.
Silane, S. (2020). The women of the Bauhaus weaving workshop: Anni Albers’ and Gunta Stölzl’s impact [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Pitzer College.
Smith, T. (2014). Bauhaus weaving theory: From feminine craft to mode of design.
Unknown author. (2024). Bauhaus feminine power and its influence on modern fashion design. International Journal of Research in Innovation & Social Sciences, 8(3), 301-305.
Wan, X. (2011). Gender construction in the technological landscape: A review of Bai Fulan’s “Technology and gender: The power landscape of late imperial China.” Journal of Shanxi Normal University (Social Sciences Edition), 38(02), 6-10.
Wang, H. (2022). Muriel Cooper: The bridge between Bauhaus and digital design. Journal of Nanjing Academy of Arts (Fine Arts and Design), (01), 81-87.
Wang, X. (2019). Design history from a feminist perspective: A case study of Bauhaus female designers. Journal of Shandong Academy of Arts and Crafts, (02), 114-120.