A new 2024 product, the Waters indoor rug finds its expression through a complex design made possible by hand-tufted craftsmanship.
Water has always been a muse for artists and poets. It enchants with its tranquillity, as seen in Claude Monet's water lilies, and amazes with its power in Hokusai's Great Wave. While many poets have successfully paid homage to water—from García Lorca to Baudelaire, and Gabriele D'Annunzio to Eugenio Montale—capturing its essence requires a unique sensitivity. This sensitivity is possessed by Warli, known for interpreting materials in their purity, and by Bartoli Design.
Molecules of creativity, like oxygen and hydrogen, have combined to create Waters, a series of hand-tufted rugs made with New Zealand wool and viscose. This project began with a series of watercolours, where water itself dictated the rules and boundaries of the design. 'The product development,' the designers recount, 'took place in close collaboration with Warli and required many technical trials to fine-tune, lasting over four years. We encountered a company determined to achieve the result. It was also an opportunity to strengthen the friendship that binds us to Paolo Zani, owner and art director of the company.'
Many challenges arose, starting with the coloured parts of the designs, which initially were too dominant. They had to be softened and resized to achieve a balanced result, creating rugs that are full of character yet easy to place in any setting.
The 'liquid material' had to transform into something solid without losing the fluid and impalpable effect of water touching white sand, ochre earth, or wetting grass through sparkling rivulets. New Zealand wool—with its matte and uniform effect—and viscose, naturally iridescent, became the 'pigments' used to create glimmers in the central area of the rugs. These glimmers recall sunlight illuminating the surface of water, providing a point of interest in the coloured and shaded part of the rug. The rest of the rug remains of regular colour and less bright. The Waters rugs are hand-tufted and available in circular, oval, and rectangular shapes, and in three delicate and natural colours.
More information:
Bartoli Design
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www.bartolidesign.it