André Fu’s cinematic designs for Tai Ping depict urban cityscapes

Following on from an initial dalliance last year, venerable carpet makers Tai Ping and Hong Kong-based designer André Fu have reprised their joint efforts once again – this time with a fully fledged collection that captures urban silhouettes and scenes of the city in carpet form. Entitled ‘Scenematic’, the 13-strong collection is not only strikingly contemporary, but also marks the use of multiple production techniques – a first for Tai Ping.

Nine of the designs feature silk, lurex, felted and semi-worsted wool and Tai Ping’s durable technical yarn, glosilk thread, which have been hand-tufted by the house’s artisans in Xiamen. The other four styles are made from silk, wool, linen and mohair, cashmere and Matka silk, and have been knotted by hand in Nepal using traditional Nepalese and Tibetan techniques. The result is a dynamic and modern collection that still displays exquisite hand-craftsmanship and undeniable refinement.

‘The collection is not about any one single element of a particular city,’ explains Fu. ‘Instead, it represents the very sensual and subliminal cinematographic experience that comes from being immersed in the geometries, light, and reflections of an urban landscape – whether it be Paris, London, Tokyo or Hong Kong – at different times from dusk to dawn. The collection really embraces a flâneur-like interpretation of our urban life - it evokes memories of cities through the use of pattern, textures and materials to express fleeting impressions and images.’

Divided into three colour stories, the collection ranges from delicate pastels to earthy and smouldering shades and moodier, nocturnal tones – mimicking the different times of day. The geometrically charged designs depict glimpses of a city that are then distilled into its most abstract form. The collection successfully captures all the romantic nuances of living in a big city; from pixelated forms evoking fleeting reflections and glimpses of a metropolis, to more photographic city scenes, and a series of highly textured, painterly landscapes.

‘This is one of the most complex and nuanced contemporary collections we’ve ever worked on. It’s a wonderful celebration of our heritage, taking Tai Ping back to our roots which were originally anchored in intricate hand-knotted techniques and that have evolved over time into hand-tuft designs,’ explains Tai Ping’s global creative director Jean-Pierre Tortil. ‘Each hand-made process delivers a distinctly different experience of the cinematic quality of urban memories.’

INFORMATION

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