A new rug design which explores the designers deep-seated curiosity for global art and culture.

 

 

Bethan Gray’s love for travel and her deep-seated curiosity in global art and culture was the starting point for her ‘dhow’ pattern. A process which began through Gray capturing and investigating the movement of the billowing sails of Omani Dhows. A pattern which she has been exploring over years and applying to her handcrafted furniture and ceramics.

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Her aptly named ‘Inky Dhow’ pattern is an evolution on her previous work which she creates entirely by hand. For each project she paints by hand, understanding the scale, materials and proportions of the object. This progression came from an installation where she projected her dhow patterns across a staircase and was intrigued how the line changed as it hit different surfaces. She started experimenting, trying to simulate this effect by using ink, calligraphy brushes and watercolor paper.

 

The result is a pattern with a wonderfully natural and irregular line, visual mark-making illustrating the expressive hand of the designer, where each brushstroke varies in flow and width. It seemed only correct to have this expression translated by the hands of Tibetan weavers, who knot by knot recreate Gray’s strokes, adding just a touch of their own expression in Himalayan wool and pure silk.

The result is a timeless and elegant design and like all of Gray’s work, a design which was born through experimentation by hand and collaboration with artisans. A project which reflects the personal signature of the designer and her passion for foreign culture and tradition.