Light & Shade

“Light” Kilim / “Shade” Kilim

Production: Turkey, 2012
Dimensions: 150 × 400 cm
Edition: 1 of each
Designer: Tamer Nakışçı

Light Kilim casting reflected points of light across a dark room — LIGHT KILIM / WOOL, SILK + STAINLESS STEEL MIRRORS

01 / PROJECT INFORMATION

Two limited-edition kilims.

Commission: Carwan
Produced: Turkey, 2012
Dimensions: 150 × 400 cm each
Shade: Handcrafted wool & silk
Light: Handcrafted wool & silk, stainless steel mirrors
Edition: Limited edition of 1 each

COMMISSIONED BY CARWAN

Shade Kilim shown as a layered open wool construction — SHADE KILIM

Light Kilim laid flat with its field of laser-cut openings — LIGHT KILIM

02 / INSPIRATION

Inspiration

Floors and ceilings / light and shadow / geometry and mashrabiya

Early studies combining intersecting lines and dappled shadow

Sketch and woven grid detail for Shade Kilim

A silhouetted figure surrounded by patterned light and shadow

03 / SHADE

“Shade” Kilim

Inspired by the sunny Middle East and its unique floors and ceilings, “Shade” stands at the intersection of illusion and reality, light and matter, geometry and transparency. Handmade in Turkey, the rug is composed of 185 pieces and 400 metres of carefully crafted wool strips, hand-stitched to each other in four layers and axes using silk threads.

The intersecting strips reveal unique graphics deconstructed from Middle Eastern patterns, resembling light rays inside shadow. Going beyond traditional techniques, Tamer Nakışçı explores the possibilities of kilim-making, tying the future to the past.

Edition: Limited edition of 1
Material: Handcrafted wool & silk
Dimensions: 150 × 400 cm
Construction: 185 pieces / 400 m of wool strips
Commission: Carwan
Price: On request

Complete overhead view of Shade Kilim showing its four intersecting layers — SHADE KILIM / COMPLETE OVERHEAD VIEW

Complete perspective view of Shade Kilim showing the depth of its layered wool strips — SHADE KILIM / LAYER, DEPTH + DETAIL

Shade Kilim folded to reveal the thickness of its intersecting construction — SHADE KILIM / INTERSECTING CONSTRUCTION

Shade Kilim being unrolled by hand — SHADE / HANDCRAFTED WOOL STRIPS

Craftsperson inspecting the layered strips of Shade Kilim — HAND ASSEMBLY / TURKEY

Wool strips stitched together by hand — WOOL / SILK THREAD

Close view of hand stitching within the Shade grid — HAND-STITCHED

Shade Kilim under construction across a worktable — FOUR LAYERS / AXES

Digital design studies for Light and Shade before production — DIGITAL DESIGN / BEFORE PRODUCTION

The completed Shade Kilim viewed from above — SHADE / COMPLETED KILIM

04 / LIGHT

“Light” Kilim

Inspired by the magic of light and mashrabiya, the design raises a new perception and awareness of light through reflection and visibility, creating an illusion of light rays captured on a surface. The handmade kilim is laser-cut and stitched by hand using silk threads.

More than 1,300 stainless steel mirror pieces are attached behind the cuts, resembling a hidden layer of light beneath the kilim and creating unexpected illusions across the floor and surrounding space. Going beyond traditional techniques, Tamer Nakışçı explores the possibilities of kilim-making, reversing light and time.

Edition: Limited edition of 1
Material: Handcrafted wool & silk
Mirrors: 1,300+ stainless steel pieces
Dimensions: 150 × 400 cm
Commission: Carwan
Price: On request