Eclectic, bold and snazzy with Indian elements like Maharaja and forts is what best describes the Art collaborative between India’s leading and ethical producers of handmade carpets, Jaipur Rugs and Italian designer Matteo Cibic.
This vibrant collection of handcrafted rugs are inspired by Cibic’s visit to Jaipur, Rajasthan. The city was recently inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The artist has taken cues from the city’s architecture, colours and the miniature paintings and played on the culture and beauty of the historic city. He has imbued his creative universe with the peculiar architecture and colours of the city and taken inspiration from ancient paintings and the architectonic sundial to design this collection.
Cibic is an Italian transmedia artist and designer who is known for his objects with hybrid functions and anthropomorphic and joyful shapes. He works indiscriminately with industrial processes and small artisans, for luxury brands, collectors and hi-tech companies.
The current collection in collaboration with Jaipur Rugs is named after ‘Wunderkammern’ also known as ‘cabinets of curiosities’ that came into existence in the mid-16th century in Europe. These rooms were repositories for all types of wondrous and exotic objects.
Cibic has mixed geometric and decorative patterns together in this bold, contemporary collection and used the many shades of pink, rose, orange and peach that are typical to the city. He has used bold motifs using iconic figures such the Rajasthani mustachioed soldier, the monkeys, the triangular flag, and iconic views of Jaipur’s buildings and monuments.
“I always wanted to visit Jaipur for its architectural beauty and monuments. I was attracted to the innovative Jaipur rugs business model and its mission, which to me is more a social enterprise than a typical global company that just cares about maximizing profits at the expense of craftsmen,’ comments Matteo Cibic to Architectural Digest.
The surreal carpets in this collection give you a peek at a new and contemporary India while helping in promoting a socially inclusive and sustainable business model to transform the handmade carpet industry, and the lives of 40,000 artisans associated with it across 600 villages in some of the most impoverished parts of India.
Founded in 1978 by Nand Kishore Chaudhary with just two looms, Jaipur Rugs has now over 7000 looms and sells in over 60 countries. Today the company creates contemporary works of art by collaborating with creative talents capable of showcasing this ancestral craft with a new vision. It uses the age old art form of handmade carpets as a tool to bring prosperity into the homes of 40,000 rural artisans of which 80% are women.
From the tribal belts of Gujarat to diverse communities in five states of India, these women represent what the company calls the ‘Creative Caste’. They have not had a fair share of opportunities but now have found their voices and dignity within their communities.
Unlike the practices of the standard carpet industry, Jaipur Rugs women weavers have now gone on to become Bunkar Sakhi (weaver’s friend) – a managerial and leadership role emerging from grassroots, that was traditionally only executed by men. It takes one woman 54 days to spin 60 kilometers of yarn, which makes up the average 9’ X 12’ rug.
The family owned company also supports its highly skilled artisans by giving them the chance to become designers themselves. Under the Artisan Originals initiative weavers from remote villages get to be the designers of their own rugs. Each rug, hand-made with more than 200,000 knots, is the story of its creator – complete with emotions, dreams, and personality. Through the Artisan Originals initiative rural men and women who have either had no education or just primary education, have stunned the world with original designs competing with professional designers and mega design houses on the global stage.
This initiative has also solved the rug industry’s constant challenge with surplus yarn. The Artisan Originals rugs are made using hand-spun leftover yarn batches, which cannot be used afresh thereby reducing wastage and making the colour palette of these rugs as unique as their design. This is a remarkable example of sustainable production – reusing and reviving from waste.
So whats stopping you from checking Jaipur Rugs and its latest art collaboration with Matteo Cibic and its pop graphical rugs for your home ?
