Andra Camelia Clitan

Andra Camelia Clitan is a textile artist, designer, researcher and academic whose work sits at
the intersection of textile, craft, cultural heritage and contemporary design. Her practice
explores how cultural knowledge is carried through textiles, dress, objects and the techniques
used to make them.

Working across fashion, textile art and object design, Andra creates garments, textile objects,
lighting and sculptural works. While textiles remain at the heart of her approach, each project
combines material research, design development and hands-on collaboration with artisans. Her
practice is increasingly structured as a multidisciplinary design studio, bringing together fashion,
object and textile design, artistic practice and academic research.

Rooted in the textile traditions of Transylvania, her practice has developed through
collaborations with artisans and craft communities across Europe and Asia. Having worked in
Romania, France, the United Kingdom, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates, Andra has
developed a broad perspective on craft, design and cultural exchange, working with diverse
materials, techniques and forms of making.

Her doctoral research at the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca examined rites of
passage, with a particular focus on funeral rites in Transylvania and the role of dress, textiles
and material objects within these traditions. This research into the symbolic, social and ritual
dimensions of material culture continues to inform her artistic and academic practice.

She is the founder and creative director of MA RA MI, an independent multidisciplinary design
practice that works with artisans and heritage communities to develop new pieces from living
craft knowledge. Through co-creation, material research and the reworking of inherited
techniques, MA RA MI brings together different craft traditions, materials and contemporary
design approaches. Its work spans limited-edition garments, textile objects, lighting and
experimental projects, with an emphasis on long-term relationships, responsible making and
the continuity of craft knowledge.

Her work has been exhibited and presented internationally at venues and events including
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin, Maraya Art Center in Sharjah, Alserkal Avenue in Dubai
and XTANT in Mallorca, alongside exhibitions and cultural programmes in London, Paris,
Bucharest, Manila and Dubai. Her projects have been featured across fashion, craft, textiles,
contemporary art and design platforms.

Andra studied Fashion Design at the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca and L’École
Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs de Strasbourg, with further studies at Central Saint Martins,
London. She holds an MA and PhD in Fine and Decorative Arts from the University of Art and
Design Cluj-Napoca and has lectured, in the higher education sector, across fashion, textiles,
craft and design.

Based between Paris and Transylvania, Andra continues to develop an international
multidisciplinary practice across textile art, design, education and research, using material and
craft knowledge as a starting point for contemporary forms of making.