Jaipur Rugs Collaborates With Ashiesh Shah for Brahmaand, a Rug Collection Uniting Celestial Elements, Indian Mysticism and Traditional Weaving Artisanship
Shah’s paintings engage with humankind’s ceaseless search for cosmic relevance and age-old questions of nature’s greater designs. The collection fuses celestial elements with the enduring craft of rug weaving. Capturing the mysteries of starlit night skies through its striking gradients and textures, the deep indigo hued rugs of Brahmaand recall ancient Indian science and mysticism. The vast cosmos is illustrated using the intricate gultarashi technique – a finishing process in which artisans mold the design by carving and embossing them using scissors – here creating peaks and troughs that alludes to passing time and space. Detailed zardosi embroidery, is used to craft timeless motifs and constellations, and paint discourses of chaos and calm, being and non-being, illusion and reality. The collection embodies the notions of bhram (myth) and brahmaand (universe) – both ultimately mysterious and far out of our reach.
Dwaar: An artwork in its own right, Dwaar depicts a gateway to an alternate reality – a portal to another world – a bold interpretation of the infinite universe in living spaces.
Chanda: Chanda pays tribute to the ever-changing state of the moon and showcases its different phases in the night sky. Hand-knotted and detailed with intricate zardosi embroidery, Chanda brings a sense of calm and composure into a space while paying homage to the beauty of the moon.
Manthan: Evoking moments of deep contemplation, collaboration, and creation, Manthan is the start of something new. With subtle gradient designs and organic semi- circular forms, Manthan is a design in motion.
Nakshatra: Nakshatra takes cues from ancient Indian astronomy instruments and constellations to convey the mysteries of a starlit night sky.
Brahmaand Manchaha: Artisans of Jaipur Rugs X Ashiesh Shah
Named after a Hindi word popular in the Rajasthan weaving community – Manchaha or “expression of the heart” – Manchaha is a one-of-a-kind initiative merging design innovation and social impact, which sits within Jaipur Rugs’ wider programme of Empowering Rural India. The scheme entails weavers being sent leftover wool and bamboo silk in over fifty colours with only one brief: choose the hues of their will, create a design of their desired intricacy, taking as much time as they require for completion.
For Brahmaand, the Manchaha rugs stem from conversations between Ashiesh Shah and Jaipur Rugs’ artisans, and feature designs conceptualised by the weavers themselves with patterns inspired from their surroundings and daily lives. Ideas, myths, and folklore about the solar system, celestial bodies far beyond and the invisible universe are translated into intricate symbols paired with fine craftsmanship.
About Jaipur Rugs
Jaipur Rugs is a family business strengthened by the purpose of protecting ancestral know- how and connecting rural craftsmanship with global consumers. By placing the human aspect at its core, the company has grown to become the largest network of artisans in India.