The new collection of cc-tapis handcrafted rugs blends the creative visions of Patricia Urquiola, Bethan Laura Wood, Odd Matter, Duccio Maria Gambi and Mae Engelgeer in a single narrative. The carpet thus becomes a meeting point for inspirations, new ideas and experimentation, through a contemporary interpretation of artisanal techniques and traditional Himalayan wool processing.
An exploration of graphic languages and colour, Pipeline by Patricia Urquiola is an evolution of the designer’s Slinkie collection from 2018, and translates digital drawings into an artisanal production. A visual labyrinth of connected tubes forms the frame of the design, its interlocking volumes offering a three- dimensional texture enhanced by the richness of the Himalayan wool.
Euphorbia rug by long-term cc-tapis contributor Bethan Laura Wood references her meditative lockdown ink drawings, delicate black and white markings reproducing the designer’s collection of succulents, their curled, growing organic forms resembling ‘living calligraphy’. The result is a large rug and a smaller triptych, which interpret the original ink drawings with black wool on an undyed pile.
Created by Dutch-based Els Woldhek and Georgi Manassiev of Odd Matter, Car Park rug takes the ephemeral and translates it into a permanent design. The asymmetrical textures recreates tyre markings in blue, lime and pink. The starting point for the design was nostalgia, looking back to a hot day at the beach, returning to the car after a swim: ‘driving off, leaving behind the temporary soft traces of our presence in the sand, whilst erasing those of the people that came before us.’ Capturing a fragment of a moment through design.
Visual experimentation is at the heart of Italian designer Duccio Maria Gambi’s collection. Titled Tempore, the series features hand-knotted, Himalayan wool rugs replicating drawings with oil pastels and ballpoint pens, a combination of precision and freedom. The result is a play of contrasts, colours and lines, coexisting on the knotted structures in multiple dimensions.
Mae Engelgeer’s Ceremony rug combines the Dutch designer’s colour sensibility with traditional Japanese designs. Inspired by a Tatami, her designs embody the rug’s most ancient mission, that of defining a sacred moment, becoming a stage for everyday rituals. Comprising a rectangular gridded shape in colours inspired by the different times of day, combined with a colourful round form, the collection allows for experimentation at multiple levels.
