Through handmade craftmanship, multimedia artist Faig Ahmed creatively explores the ornate patterns and traditional designs of Azerbaijan carpets. He draws upon the culture and artistic traditions of the country in order to produce his unique and contemporary sculptures. By directly manipulating the wool, Ahmed transforms iconic carpet designs into modern creations.
He uses the formal, decorative arrangements as the basis for his work, but he then stretches and warps the colors so that they appear in a variety of unexpected forms that function as much more than just floor coverings.
Ahmed maintains elements like rich colors, intricate patterns, and fringed edges, however, he breaks with many traditions to create unexpected shapes and distorted, pixelated colors that often appear almost digital. Ahmed explains, “Carpet is the icon of Eastern tradition, it's canonical and has visual boundaries. My art is directed towards transforming these boundaries beyond any recognition.”
