Infinite expanse, distant galaxies, inconceivable depth, and an aesthetic that mankind could never create. During his travels in the Himalayas, on the roof of the world, Jan Kath was especially fascinated by the unique night sky in Nepal, far away from the light pollution of our civilization. Yet it was the shots taken by the Hubble Space Telescope that first gave us a glimpse of the hitherto only imagined majestic splendor and colorful opulence of space. These images served as inspiration for the Spacecrafted collection.
"For years I had wanted to use the images of this awe-inspiring stellar spectacle in my textile work," says Kath. "But only now, with 15 years' experience and a huge pool of expertise, are we technically in a position to produce these images in the highest resolution. The result is photo-realistic and quality of this kind has never before been achieved on the market."
Only a small, select group of highly qualified weavers in our workshops in Kathmandu have the skills to take on this challenge. Just like a pixel in a digital photo, each individual knot has to be added and inspected. There are 150 to 200 knots in every square inch (23–31 knots per square centimeter) and up to 60 colors are used, vividly reproducing even subtle asteroid, nebulae and the most delicate gas clouds. It appears as if the invisible has been rendered visible.
Besides excellent technical skills, the use of the finest raw materials also plays a central role in achieving such a perfect result. A high percentage of Chinese silk and hand-carded and hand-spun Tibetan highland wool is used in Spacecrafted. The material mix significantly contributes to the fact that the designs possess unique power and depth.
In contrast to a photo, these carpets have a third dimension. Spacecrafted takes the beholder on a long journey. The collection conveys a sense of wanderlust, desire, and adventurous spirit and – from a technical perspective – it represents a departure into a new carpet dimension...
posted 02-19-2014 12:06 PM
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