For hundreds of years, craftspeople and artisans in Azerbaijan have created stunningly beautiful rugs full of bright, intricate patterns.
The traditional rugs can be found in homes all over the world, as their symmetrical compositions and rich colors make them universally pleasing.
But one artist is changing things up a bit!
Faig Ahmed, from Azerbaijan, both pays homage to and upends the traditional patterns. The result is something that challenges your perceptions and might even make you a little dizzy!
Using traditional techniques, Faig creates rugs that start out with the traditional patterns, but then melt, twist, and glitch into strange, digital patterns.
Twirling vines become pixelated, and entire compositions seem to melt onto the floor. Even the traditional rectangular shape of the rugs gets distorted.
Faig's work is gaining attention around the world, and has had exhibits in Italy and Boston. Keep reading to see some of his incredible pieces.
(h/t: Colossal)
Faig has always been interested in history and tradition, and also how it can change and evolve over time.
He's also interested in fabric and textiles, and how humans have been using them for so many thousands of years — and still use them today!
He also loves patterns from all different cultures, and how different — and how similar — they can be.
On patterns, he says, 'I consider them words and phrases that can be read and translated to a language we can all understand.'
Besides distorting the patterns, Faig also plays with the shape of the rug itself.
Considering these are hand-woven rugs, his creations are pretty amazing.
Besides being stunning, the rugs also makes us think of and visualize the patterns in a new way, and think about the merging of past and present.
It's a centuries-old tradition turned into a digital-style glitch, which is illustrated by way of centuries-old tradition! Crazy.
Faig's rugs are not meant to be used as rugs, of course, but it's kind of fun to imagine a room being designed around one of these.
Faig says that his greatest inspiration comes from traveling, meeting new people, and exploring new cultures and traditions.
Here he is sorting through some wool that will eventually, with a lot of planning and patience, become a rug.
Hear what Faig has to say about his art in his own words in this video:
Faig hopes that his rugs will make people think about cultures and traditions across time, and see how things have changed and how they haven't.
He also says, "If you want to change the world, start with yourself."
You can see more of his rugs and other textile art on his website, as well as on Facebook and Tumblr.
Please SHARE if you love these eye-catching rugs!
