Hands Carpets teams up with nine multinational designers to create carpets as a symbol of unity

Mumbai-based architect Padmini Pandey teamed up with Hands Carpets and nine designers across nine countries to create a collection of carpets that symbolise the world’s unified stance against the sweeping impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

One Love is a collection of 10 handmade carpets, curated by Pandey, and brought to life by innumerable discussions over transcontinental video calls – as is customary to the ways in which we work today.

Turkey: Göbekli Tepe Echoes by Tuna Meier is inspired by Göbeklitepe, which is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Deemed to be the ‘zero point in time”, the site is home to the world’s oldest temple dating back to around 10,000 BC. The carpet represents the origin of human civilisation, when the sky and the sea were one.

A part of the proceeds from the collection will go to Project Mala, a special programme dedicated to the education of children. The sale of each carpet will sponsor a year in the primary education of one underprivileged child residing in and around the carpet-making centres of India.

Russia: Siberian Forest by Svetlana Selivanova showcases patterns are the outcome of the dramatic clashes between water’s warmth and the frigid Russian air.

The nine designers involved in the collection include: Pamela Caspani from Australia, Regina Davila from Guatemala, Padmini Pandey from India, Sheena Poerwantoro from Indonesia, Luisa Scanu from Italy, Karla Celorio from Mexico, Katia Santillan S. from Peru, Svetlana Selivanova from Russia and Tuna Meier from Turkey.

Peru: Rainbow of Cusco by Katia Santillán S. uses the intricate system of large and small mountain ranges of the Andes as the primary inspiration. The reflection of this colourful Peruvian landmark in the carpet design is the designer’s way of paying homage to her roots.

“We, as architects and designers, have the power to shape and mould societies. We must exercise this power of design to contribute to the welfare of society,” said Pandey, who is known for her award-winning design and architectural work within hospitality and luxury residences.

Mexico: Tulum Wave by Karla Celorio is an ode to Mexico’s natural paradise.

“When creativity is used in the case of adversity, it empowers the concept of humanity rising above all odds one,” she added.

From the vividly coloured Australian reefs and the complex patterns of Russian ice fractals to origin of human civilisation in Turkey and the contemporary icons of Italian architecture, each designer brings in their distinct local cultures and artistic influences.

Italy: Tuscan Romance by Luisa Scanu showcases a sunset over the Italian vineyards. Using simplified geometries of traditional Italian architecture, the carpet design is a manifestation of that unique experience.

The carpets feature fluid forms, organic motifs and contemporary aesthetics, and while all carpets are of the same dimensions, the 10th carpet is a collaboration between four designers, and breaks the traditional form of its counterparts.

Indonesia: Archipelago by Sheena Poerwantoro represents Indonesia as a vast archipelago (with many cultures within itself) by bringing together of few of its diverse traditional patterns with the colours of its sky and sea.

A juxtaposition of the projections of the designers’ hands, this carpet captures the essence of all 9 designers and their unique cultures, offering a reflection of humanity’s fortitude that goes beyond all limits to connect and empower.

India: River Chants of Benaras by Padmini Pandey honors the city of Benaras that stands for spirituality, faith and positivity. This is where the holy river of Ganga and the divinity of Hindu deity Shiva converge. The positive energy radiating from this sangam (confluence) is infused in the very design of this carpet.

The intricacies and nuances of the colours used in the design of each carpet have been developed to precision by Hands, which have been hand tufted in wool, bamboo silk and botanical silk. Each piece is unique and takes up to ten weeks to craft.

Guatemala: Atitlan Dawn by Regina Davila represents Lake Atitlán that showcases a symbolic encounter between her ancestors, nature, and the beauty of the world. Here, the dramatic forms of the surrounding mountains integrate beautifully with the lake’s calm countenance. Mirroring the sky, the lake is also a symbol of the universal unification of humankind.

Australia: Heart of Queensland by Pamela Caspani showcases the vast, mosaic patterns of reefs, islands and coral cays as seen from above and the intricate, geometric coral patterns underwater. The carpet design captures the many layers of Heart Reef’s stunning beauty and marries them together into one carpet.

“This tenacity to not just survive but to evolve in the face of adversity is inherently human,” said Ravi Patodia, managing director at Hands. “One Love is a reflection of the resilient human spirit that is driven by pure artistic instinct.”