The Barcelona- and New York-based contemporary rug brand explores the possibilities of home decor in its latest collaboration with the Spanish designer.
By Claire Butwinick
Whether it’s laying on an outdoor patio or hanging on a living room wall, designer Jaime Hayon’s latest Silhouette rug collection with Barcelona- and New York-based Nanimarquina is meant to be seen.
Debuted last week at Paris’s Maison & Objet trade show, Silhouette accents indoor and outdoor spaces with intricate craftsmanship and playful design. Illustrated with nine hand-drawn, overlapping abstract faces, Hayon’s figures are brought to life with colorful embroidery on a creamy white base. And for those who don’t want to step foot on his latest creation, the rug’s indoor iteration can be hung vertically as a wall tapestry.
“[There are] very exceptional cases in which the format, material, and use are ideal to portray emotivism through the figurative,” says Hayon, who started his eponymous Spanish design firm in 2000. “Rugs for Nanimarquina are the perfect example; the format is ideal to be able to work with absolute freedom, similar to a painting or a tapestry.”
Silhouette’s indoor variation is made with a Ghazni Afghan wool base and embroidered with colorful New Zealand wool. Produced in Pakistan, the rugs are crafted using Kilim, an intricate Persian handweaving technique. Alternatively, Silhouette’s hand-tufted outdoor version is produced in India with 100 percent PET fiber, providing the durability to withstand weather.
“Working with Nanimarquina is a pleasure,” Hayon says. “Collaborators are able to work surrounded by respect and mutual admiration. The knowledge regarding each fiber and material, the variety of techniques, and the close work with artisans is palpable in the result of Nanimarquina rugs.”