Interview about Ege Rug Collection, winner of the A' Furniture Design Award 2021
Ege is a series of kilims reflecting an admiration for the visual and emotional expressiveness of the sea surface, with its fluid movements, and hues of color reflections that create a relaxing effect on the human psyche. Taking its inspiration from the blue Aegean Sea, the collection reinterprets centuries old craft traditions of Anatolian kilim weaving with a modern, contemporary and sensual design approach. Handwoven by Anatolian weavers using 100% sheep wool, Ege collection aims to bring the Aegean spirit full of sea, wind, sand and nature to the interior space.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsBefore starting the design of this collection, for a while I had been thinking about how I could reflect the fluidity of the movements of the sea surface to a rug design. I decided to start by playing with photographs of the sea surface to see if I can come up with graphics that would suggest the emotion and sensations I had in mind. This process proved to be quite fun and led to the abstract shapes that I used on the rugs in different combinations and colors. In addition to this process, the nature of hand weaving has added another level of originality to the design. As these kilim rugs are all hand made, in every kilim rug, the patterns change slightly from one weaver to the other making each kilim rug one and only, just as the uniqueness of each movement on the sea surface.
Anatolian kilim weaving traditions are very rich with the traditional Anatolian kilims having their own set of symbols, colors, weaving techniques. In my kilim collection I wanted to continue the artistry, the process and the soul of these traditions as they are while modernizing the designs with a more contemporary aesthetic reflecting the sensuality of the sea surface. By keeping the weaving process and the materials traditional, I believe the results achieved just the right balance I was looking for.
When establishing Studio Kali, I had summarized the values and principles on which I wanted the studio to operate on. Supporting craftsmanship and local industry, being unique, timeless, honest, sustainable and ethical, as well as uniting the worlds of crafts, art, culture and nature through design were three major principles I has set for the studio. Therefore the decision to produce using traditional craft methods was just an extension of these principles and values. Besides, I really believe in the transformational power of craft production, transforming both the craft-person and the outcome of that craft and infusing it with a soul that mechanical modes of production can not replicate. My personal interest in and respect for craft based techniques was also a major factor.
After finding may photographs of the sea surface as well as using some of the photographs I took, I played with the curves, the color transitions and later selected a group of these sketches. Then came the part where I played with organizing these curves in different ways and variations with the ultimate aim of capturing the poetry and sensuality these movements create on the human psyche.
Each weaver is given the original design with the exact curves, colors and dimensions stated on the sheet. They are instructed to stay as loyal as they can be to the design they see on paper. At the beginning I was a little worried that the results would deviate too much from the original so as to lose its appeal but it was and it still is so fascinating to see that although the curves and their dimensions change from one weaver to the other, the end result always stays true to the total perception and sense of the original design. You really have to get two pieces next to each other and strictly look for the differences to understand that they are actually different. And I am so happy that this adds so much meaning and poetry to the final outcome. Just as no two snapshots of the sea surface can never be exactly the same but nevertheless they do reflect the same sensation and visual quality, no two kilim rugs are exactly the same and yet they embody the total perception and sense of the original design.
As long as I have known myself I always think, design and work with options, variations. At the beginning this made me a bit frustrated as I really have a very hard time when I have to choose one single design, one single option, one single color. Then I decided that there was also a very positive side to this mode of thinking and operating and decided to apply this to my designs by offering variations for different use situations, different tastes, different contexts. In almost all of my design work, I continue applying this versatility, there are always a number of variations and alternatives and I really like this as it also answers a practical need.
The play and documentation with sea surfaces gave me quite a lot of time to think on how to finalize the designs and the village visits and seeing the weavers, the weaving processes served as a means of testing how the design would translate to the final outcomes. They both contributed immensely to the finalization of the design.
I just hope that it can be an inspiration for designers that are interested in the richness of traditional, craft-based production techniques but are hesitant regarding how they can use these methods to produce contemporary and modern design.
As I have mentioned, at the start I was worried that the nature of craft production could change the design and this had the risk of deviating from the final outcome that I was looking for but to my surprise, in Ege collection this was never the case. Yet I see that this is a byproduct of the mastery of the craftspeople, in this case the weavers. When you work with weavers that are masters of their craft, they bring much more to the table where the design and production process turns into a beautiful process of co-creation.
I would suggest them to go and learn as much as they can about the traditions and techniques. Besides being so enriching, inspiring and fun, this process of observing and learning about the crafts starts to change the way you think about design and influences your thought processes. This helps you to find various ways to better merge the traditional with the contemporary.
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