Kristine Bjaadal
Designer
“I have always been fascinated by different visual forms of expression. During my studies, I worked just as much with photo, collage and drawing/painting as I now work with design and crafts. My projects often find themselves in the intersection between different fields. When I work with object design, I find the tactile aspect as important as the visual, and the sculptural as important as the functional. In my work I focus on everyday life; objects that we use and surround our selves with every day."
The process of tufting reminds me of drawing or painting; yarn is being shot through a canvas to create a three-dimensional drawing on the surface. The canvases are tensioned upright during production, though usually laid flat on the floor as carpets once finished.
The Kanvas collection is inspired by drawings made on white paper, and thus my sketches were made the same way; with ink, pencil and gouache on water color paper. The motifs are abstract compositions.
The rugs may be hung on walls as textile paintings or laid flat on the floor as carpets.
Working with rugs is an intriguing area for me because it happens in the intersection between surface and object. From a distance, the rugs are seen as two-dimensional surfaces and it is the means of the drawing with colors, lines and composition that is most evident. The closer you get, the more three-dimensional they appear, and the means of the relief comes in to play; different materials, structures and height variations. At last, the tactile meeting – the different materials against the skin – soft, warm wool and silk-like viscose.
Rugs bring warmth to a room, and can function as both wall art, zone dividers, sound absorbers, and furniture. The fact that they are in-between – both when it comes to expression and usage – fascinates me.
