alexandra kehayoglou's hand tufted wool rugs are portable pieces of landscape

buenos aires-based alexandra kehayoglou has created a series of prayer rugs that function as portable pieces of landscape. combining textiles and sculpture, she employs a handtuft technique using a machine which the artist manipulates upon vertical frames. each piece is a testament to her love of nature and her drive to preserve the natural world.

alexandra combines textiles and sculpture to create portable landscapes that function as carpets

images courtesy of alexandra kehayoglou

the pieces are made with surplus materials from the alexandra kehayoglou‘s family factory, which has been manufacturing industrial carpets and rugs for more than sixty years. the collection consists of eight smaller rugs and one larger rug, which was specially produced for the hannah ryggen triennial in norway.

the pieces are made with surplus materials from the alexandra kehayoglou’s family factory

kehayoglou’s rugs are often related to nature, capturing memories of various native landscapes that the artist has visited. she realizes immersive textile expanses of greenlands, paddocks and shelters, with each piece unique in texture and pattern, with an unrepeatable palette that is derived from her family’s textile traditions.

the collection consists of eight smaller rugs and one larger rug

kehayoglou often uses her loom to produce hand-tufted carpets that act as maps of endangered areas. at the end of 2017, the triennial of the national gallery of victoria, melbourne, included kehayoglou’s work santa cruz river, an interactive installation showcasing her critical vision of a disappearing landscape, and premonition of a future ecocide in one the most significant glacial rivers in south america.

kehayoglou often uses her loom to produce hand-tufted carpets that act as maps of endangered areas

alexandra kehayoglou uses aerial images captured by drones to create accurate depictions of real places, to remind people of the value of the natural world. her work has become renowned as an outcry against deforestation and devastation, and for its call for environmental awareness.