The Moirai - Weavers of Fate and Destiny

Fig.1. Alexander Rothaug, The Three Fates, 1910

Introduction

For our upcoming exhibition, opening on the 24th of July, Galerie Sara Lily Perez presents “The Morai’s Loom”, featuring three artists, Martin Dreves Castillo, Olga Moș, and Serhii Hrekh. This article delves into who the Moirai are, what they represent, and why we chose to name the exhibition as it is. 

THE MOIRAI'S LOOM

July 24, 2025, 5:00 – 8:00 PM|Galerie SLP | Bikini Berlin 1.0G

Register Now

Background

The recurring image of fate goddesses, often portrayed as a trio, appears across many cultures and stories. They reflect humanity’s enduring fascination with our mortality, and the everlasting conflict and debate between free will and predestination. In European polytheism in particular, these three sisters or women are envisioned as those who weave, measure, and ultimately cut strands of threads (usually on a loom), which are representative of our lifespan and existence. Some well-known trios include the principal Norse Norns, Urd, Verande and Skuld, who weave the thread of fate, and tend to the World Tree, Yggdrasil ; the Morrigan, who in Irish mythology is associated with fate and war, and is often depicted (though not always) as a trio of sisters ; and of course, the topic of this blog and exhibition, the Moirai, the three sisters, Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, who were the personifications of fate and destiny in greek mythology. 

As an individual who grew up reading the Percy Jackson series, it sparked my interest in Greek mythology, and led me down a rabbit hole of obsessing and learning about different legends, myths and stories. I’m sure many share a similar experience, as we have seen a resurgence of recreations and adaptations of Greek mythologies in mainstream media. 

With that in mind, whilst we were looking through our three artists, at their artworks and their biographies, we were struck with the realisation that despite the differences in their art styles and personal history, they all depict their journeys regarding the fluidity of their identities, and its development. It reminded me of recent papers I had read through regarding the paradox of fate - whether we truly have free will, or if everything is predetermined. Fate is always a concept that has fascinated me, and with our three artists and their depictions of their personal journeys and immortalised moments on the canvas, I could not help but be reminded of the Moirai and their loom, weaving each individual’s destiny to form a tapestry that depicts their life. 

It brings into question if our lives are predetermined, set to follow a path, or if we are the agents of our own fate. 

The Moirai

Fig.2. Giorgio Ghisi, The Three Fates Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, 1558-59

The Moirai “were represented from Homer onwards as old women spinning, three in number according to Hesiod” (“Fates”). The three were named Klotho, who spins the thread of life -  symbolising one’s birth and the start of their journey, Lachesis, the one who measures the thread - symbolizing the unfolding of destiny and the duration of one's life, and Atropos, the one who cuts the thread - symbolising inevitability and finality of death. The image of three sisters working together on a loom, as seen in figure 2, encompasses the totality and commonality of our human existence and experience, from our birth, our lives, and finally, death. 

At a glance, it seems like a mere simplification of fate or the human experience. The idea of these omniscient entities overlooking our lives, dictating and shaping every choice and thought we make. However, I, alongside many others, have an alternative perspective. Perhaps the Moirai does indeed determine the length of our thread, but I believe that we have the power to choose how and where the thread goes into this tapestry of our lives, creating uniquely coloured and shaped patterns that reflect our individual identities, that differentiates you, from me. This view aligns with Solomon’s reading about the conception of fate and destiny in Homer’s Iliad, “it is worth observing that neither fate nor the actions of the gods make men do what they would not otherwise do” (445), suggesting that even within the boundaries of fate, our choices remain distinctly our own. 

Fig.3. Elihu Vedder, The Fates Gathering in the Stars, 1884

How one chooses to interact with the loom and it's tapestry in progress, deciding where to go with their thread, and what colour they want to be, is what creates and define us as we know ourselves.

The Artists 

In selecting the artists for this trio exhibition, we were drawn to how each one’s abstract yet unmistakable style becomes a vessel for narrating personal and cultural histories. Much like the Moirai weaving destinies, Martin Dreves Castillo, Olga Moș, and Serhii Hrekh each trace and entwine defining moments from their lives, be it memories, migrations, or cultural inheritances, into their work. Their canvases do not present fixed fates, but rather a dynamically layered tapestry, where each gesture and chromatic choice marks an act of agency, shaping and colouring the fabric of their identities.

Fig.3. Serhii Hrekh, Butterfly 5, 2025, Galerie SLP

In this way, their art reflects the paradox at the heart of our exhibition - how within the threads allotted to us, we each chart a path that is vividly, uniquely our own.

Conclusion

In naming this exhibition The Moirai’s Loom, we invite viewers to reflect not only on the ancient symbolism of fate and destiny, but on the deep personal threads woven into each artist’s work. Just as the Moirai measure and spin the strands of life, our three artists wield the metaphorical spindle, intertwining memory, identity, culture, and emotion to create works that speak to both the universal and the intimate. Through their art, we are reminded that while the length of our thread may be unknown, how we choose to weave it is entirely our own. This exhibition, ultimately, is a celebration of agency, individuality, and the stories we stitch into the ever-expanding tapestry of human experience.

Written by : Wang Si Hui

References

"Fates." The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature. Ed. Howatson, M. C.. : Oxford University Press, , 2011. Oxford Reference.

Artist: Giorgio Ghisi (Italian, Mantua ca. 1520–1582 Mantua), and Artist: After Giulio Romano (Italian, Rome 1499?–1546 Mantua). The Three Fates Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Engraving, 1558–59. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.18359852. Accessed 19 July 2025.

Solomon, Robert C. “On Fate and Fatalism.” Philosophy East and West, vol. 53, no. 4, 2003, pp. 435–54. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1399977. Accessed 19 July 2025.