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Moroccan Rug Collaboration with Artist Tina Umer

Dec 5, 2021

This last year we worked with Slovenian artist Tina Umer on her "Gone Clicking" conceptual art project. The first installment of this project worked with embroidery, with the idea of replicating the image of beauty and entertainment items to, "take an object from this chaos, give it a different life, and liberate it from circulation and multiplication." Continuing with this theme, we helped Umer commission a series of Moroccan flatweave rugs based on images of household commodities sent to the weavers. 

White Moroccan flatweave with conceptual design in pink
Face mask

Umer eloquently explains the purpose of having these images reproduced by hand on her website:

“A 2021 variation of the project Gone Clicking in form of comissioned woolen rugs. The artisans recieved images to kilim flat weave and did their own selection of the ones that were more suitable. The final results are therefore changed through human labour, presenting different forms of human-made glitches, transforming the images of the contemporary consumerist beauty objects through traditional craftmanship, connecting the old and the new silk road.”

If you look at the side-by-side images below, in some cases, the images of the rugs vary greatly from the original images. We anticipated this might occur, as the commissioned pieces were meant to be made as flatweave kilims. Generally speaking, in order to get the most accurate rendition of a design, we always recommend that the rug be made as a pile rug. That way, each individual piece of wool is hand-knotted on the loom and the rug becomes more of a pointillist canvas for the original design.

Instead of shying away from the potential messiness of the project, Tina leaned in. She understood what the outcome might look like and was invested in the process. 

White Moroccan flatweave with conceptual design in black
Face roller

The pleasure was all ours! We love working with artists and designers who understand that commissioning rugs is a process in which we put our art through a folk art lens. 

As you look at these images, we invite you to let go of your expectation for precision. Instead, we invite you to revel in the cross-cultural conversation that happens between artist and artisans, in which we interpret these modern-day consumer objects through the ancient craft of weaving.

For more information

Learn more about Tina Umer and her work here on her website!

Tina Umer's Website

With the "Gone Clicking" series, Tina Umer implores her audience to consider these questions:

 "How are these objects of need and desire even seen, when we know our attitude towards the planet needs to be changed here and now? Is not the structure of the online marketing and post-capitalist object the true piece of art here?"

We are so grateful to Tina for having us be apart of this project and these conversations. Click the button below to read more about the 2021 installment of this art series:

"Gone 2021" ExhibitContemporary Moroccan flatweave kilims with conceptual artwork

You can also follow this link to learn more about the thought-process behind the entire project and about the original "Gone Clicking" exhibit:

"Gone Clicking" 2018
Contemporary Moroccan flatweave kilims with conceptual artwork

Kantara will definitely be collaborating with more artists in the new year, so stay tuned for more completely unique, one-of-a-kind Moroccan rugs highlighting contemporary art! In the meantime, check out the following gallery for more from our collaboration with Tina:

White Moroccan flatweave kilim with black conceptual design

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