London — Tania Johnson Design continues to expand its collection of stunning one-of-a-kind rugs. The process Tania Johnson, the company founder, undertakes to create the pieces is as intriguing and deeply layered as the rugs themselves. A selection of recent introductions, Abstract Floral, Threads, Lined Peony, Lined Stem and Leaf Plaid, is an excellent example of this unique process.
The long journey towards the completion of a rug often begins with a walk – with camera in hand – through bustling city streets, quiet countryside, spaces in nature. A photo taken or a small memento picked up on the way often becomes either inspiration for or the actual first stepping-stone in the painstaking process
Abstract Floral and Threads are both based on photos Johnson took of images through paper and fabric. Abstract Floral comes from the photo of one piece of fabric with a bleached out flower shape through a piece of semi transparent lined paper. Threads was derived from the image of a loosely woven piece of fabric taken though a textured semi transparent paper.
Abstract Floral
A delicate shadow of flowers runs across the surface of this elegant design. It has a rich painterly quality and is rendered in silk on a wool ground. Hand knotted wool and silk 100, 150 or 200 knots per inch 3mm pile
Threads
Inspired by tangled threads of silk seen through painted gauze, this design is interpreted in a wool base with textural silk accents. Hand knotted wool and silk 100, 150 or 200 knots per inch 3mm pile
Lined Peony, Lined Stem and Leaf Plaid are based on simple photos Johnson took and are a study of the silhouette of the flower or plant. She added layers of lines onto the images in keeping with the layered theme. This created the effect of a strong shape that is partially veiled or obscured. The origin of Lined Stem is a pressed flower, while the other two are close up photos.Lined Peony
A painterly image of a peony rendered in wool is partially obscured by veiling it with fine lines of silk. Hand knotted wool and silk. 150 or 200 knots per inch, 3mm pile
Lined Stem
Inspired by the shadow of an orchid viewed through a layer of loosely woven, transparent fabric. The flower silhouette, raised in pure silk, lies on a ground of wool with fine lines of wool and silk running through it. Hand knotted wool and silk 100, 150 or 200 knots per inch 4mm/6mm low/high pile
Leaf Plaid
Inspired by the silhouettes found in nature, this bold leaf motif is emphasized by the high/low pile technique. A delicate grid of silk softens the raised leaf shape. Hand knotted wool and silk, 100, 150 or 200 knots per inch, 4mm/6mm low/high pile.
Retail prices range from $125 to $240 per square foot. As with all the Tania Johnson Design rugs, these designs are customizable.