Ege Rug Collection by Fulden Topaloglu is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 Silver A' Design Award in Furniture Design Competition Category.
SilverFurniture· 2021
Ege Rug Collection
Client: Studio Kali
Silver A' Design Award Winner in Furniture Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #120206The Design
About Ege Rug Collection
Ege is a series of kilims reflecting an admiration for the visual and emotional expressiveness of the sea surface, with its fluid movements, and hues of color reflections that create a relaxing effect on the human psyche. Taking its inspiration from the blue Aegean Sea, the collection reinterprets centuries old craft traditions of Anatolian kilim weaving with a modern, contemporary and sensual design approach. Handwoven by Anatolian weavers using 100% sheep wool, Ege collection aims to bring the Aegean spirit full of sea, wind, sand and nature to the interior space.
The Recognition
About the Silver A' Design Award
Ege Rug Collection is a Silver A' Design Award winner, an extraordinarily prestigious recognition granted to top-of-the-line, gorgeous, and impressive designs. Silver winners are tremendously brilliant and exceedingly creative works that illustrate the outstanding expertise, talent, and acuity of their designers. Ege Rug Collection is expected to be a wonderful, showpiece work that is remarkably professional and profoundly innovative. This Silver A' Design Award-winning design is a highly notable, admired invention that benefits and advances the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Ege Rug Collection is a vastly envied creation that evokes desires, introduces positive feelings, and sparks amazement and wonderment.
Where to Get It
Handwoven Kilim Rugs and Home Textiles
We create handwoven kilim rugs that merge centuries-old Anatolian craft traditions with contemporary design sensibilities. Our collections, inspired by nature and culture, are meticulously crafted by skilled artisans using 100% sheep wool and natural dyes. Each piece can be customized in size and color to transform your space with authentic craftsmanship.
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Grand Interview
Your innovative approach to capturing the fluid movements of the Aegean Sea in the Ege Rug Collection has earned significant recognition, including the Silver A' Design Award - could you share the creative journey that led to translating these natural patterns into woven artistry?
Before starting the design of this collection, for a while I had been thinking about how I could reflect the fluidity of the movements of the sea surface to a rug design. I decided to start by playing with photographs of the sea surface to see if I can come up with graphics that would suggest the emotion and sensations I had in mind. This process proved to be quite fun and led to the abstract shapes that I used on the rugs in different combinations and colors. In addition to this process, the nature of hand weaving has added another level of originality to the design. As these kilim rugs are all hand made, in every kilim rug, the patterns change slightly from one weaver to the other making each kilim rug one and only, just as the uniqueness of each movement on the sea surface.
The Ege Rug Collection beautifully merges centuries-old Anatolian kilim weaving traditions with contemporary design aesthetics - how did you navigate the delicate balance between preserving cultural heritage while creating modern, sensual expressions?
Anatolian kilim weaving traditions are very rich with the traditional Anatolian kilims having their own set of symbols, colors, weaving techniques. In my kilim collection I wanted to continue the artistry, the process and the soul of these traditions as they are while modernizing the designs with a more contemporary aesthetic reflecting the sensuality of the sea surface. By keeping the weaving process and the materials traditional, I believe the results achieved just the right balance I was looking for.
Each piece in the Ege Rug Collection is handwoven by skilled Anatolian artisans using 100% sheep wool and vegetable-based dyes - what inspired your commitment to these sustainable, traditional materials and techniques?
When establishing Studio Kali, I had summarized the values and principles on which I wanted the studio to operate on. Supporting craftsmanship and local industry, being unique, timeless, honest, sustainable and ethical, as well as uniting the worlds of crafts, art, culture and nature through design were three major principles I has set for the studio. Therefore the decision to produce using traditional craft methods was just an extension of these principles and values. Besides, I really believe in the transformational power of craft production, transforming both the craft-person and the outcome of that craft and infusing it with a soul that mechanical modes of production can not replicate. My personal interest in and respect for craft based techniques was also a major factor.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Ege is a series of kilim rugs that merge the sensibilities of centuries old craft traditions of Anatolian kilim weaving with a modern, artisanal and sensual design approach. Inspired by cultural craft traditions and the beautiful Aegean sea, Ege collection establishes a contemporary expression at the intersection of design, craft and art. Handwoven by Anatolian weavers using 100% sheep wool, Ege collection aims to bring the Aegean spirit full of sea, wind, sand and nature to the interior space.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 100 % Anatolian sheep wool.
Standard sizes 120-180 cm 150-200 cm and 180-240 cm.
Kilim weaving technique (Flatweave technique).
Can be custom sized and colored. - Tags
- handmade rug, handwoven, kilim rug, wool, natural
- Production Technology
- The kilim rugs are handwoven by skilled Anatolian weavers from the Aegean region in their own homes, following ancient techniques of kilim rug weaving. The material is 100% Anatolian sheep wool, which is colored using vegetable-based dyes. The design and production process support the sustainability of craft traditions, as well as respecting nature through natural dying processes.
- Design Challenge
- There were several challenges throughout the project like making sure the weaving is carried out with the exact shapes, colors and specifications. Each weaver has his/her own style and slight differences in weaving approach so the major challenge was to make sure the design is realized as intended, while giving room for the individuality of the weavers. This makes every single kilim rug truly unique and one of a kind.
- Research
- A through research was carried out regarding traditional Anatolian kilim weaving techniques, as well as finishing techniques used in kilim rugs. Anatolian villages were visited to meet with the weavers, in order to observe and learn more about various weaving techniques. For the design stage, many photographs of the sea surface were taken and were translated into abstract patterns representing the sea surface. Many variations were experimented with before finalizing the designs.
- Inspiration
- There are 2 major sources of inspiration behind the Ege Collection, the Agean Sea and the centuries old craft traditions of Anatolian kilim weaving. The kilim rugs in the collection reflect an admiration for the visual and emotional expressiveness of the sea surface, with its fluid movements, and hues of color reflections that create a relaxing effect on the human psyche. Having blue Aegean Sea as its muse, the name for this kilim rug series is Ege, the Turkish name for Aegean.
- Project Duration
- The project began in Spring 2018 and the first kilims were produced in Autumn 2018. Since then many kilims have been woven in different colors and sizes. A kilim rug takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks to make including handweaving, shaping, washing and finishing. The design stage is carried out in Istanbul, Turkey and the weaving is carried out throughout Anatolian villages of the Aegean region. Ege Collection received EDIDA - Elle Decoration International Design Awards in Turkey in 2020.
- Operation Flow
- Ege collection aims to bring inspiration, joy and a feeling of coastal nature into interiors. They can be customized in dimensions and colors according to user needs and wishes; and can be placed on floors or walls. The natural material of sheep wool combined with the flatweave technique gives warmth in cold days while keeping the space cool in warm days. The antibacterial and antimicrobial properties of wool inhibit the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria also making the kilims anti-odor.
- Patents
- Patented. 03731. Fulden Topaloglu. 2018. Turkey.
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