Woven Forms

Woven Forms, an exhibition of limited-edition handmade rugs created by some of the world’s most interesting designers, is shown in South Africa for the first time at Southern Guild from 20 September until the end of 2018. The rug collection is a collaboration between New York gallery R & Company and Milan-based carpet producer Amini.

Woven Forms presents unique designs by Wendell Castle, Rogan Gregory, Dana Barnes, The Haas Brothers, Katie Stout, David Wiseman and Renate Müller, among others. Working within the rich history of carpet-making in India and Nepal, the countries where the carpets are handmade, the exhibition re-examines the limits of craft and industry by offering the designers the opportunity to explore their ideas through textiles.

The project breaks the longstanding tradition of artists making carpets by printing a pre-existing painting, drawing, or photograph on a rug. Instead, each artist has created a unique design that considers the form, material and process while simultaneously reflecting their individual styles. All works are limited-edition pieces that took roughly six months to produce. The resulting collection pushes the boundaries of the medium, creating an extraordinary collaboration with the weavers themselves, who rediscovered ancient processes as well as new techniques and ways of making in order to realise these designs.

Woven Forms was presented to the public for the first time at the 57th Venice Biennale in May 2017.