The next generation of carpet design has arrived

International young designers were invited to apply with an original carpet design that stands out for its creative design concept as well as its focus on traditional fabrication methods. Out of all competition entries, an international jury of experts selected three carpet designs to go on a shortlist, which produced by weavers located in Afghanistan, using traditional techniques for.

Carpet knotting is an integral part of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage. Fine, long-fibered Ghazni wool, natural vegetable and mineral dyes, skilled artisanship and a variety of regional knotting and weaving techniques give the carpets their distinctive character. Four decades of conflict, however, have made the country practically inaccessible to international buyers. The Turquoise Mountain organization is actively working to overcome that isolation. Being presented jointly for the first time ever by DOMOTEX DIGITAL DAYS, the HALI and COVER publications and Turquoise Mountain, the "Best Emerging Designer" award offers aspiring designers a unique opportunity to work with talented Afghan weavers to create unique contemporary woven works of art based on time-honored traditional techniques. The winning design will be announced together with the other Carpet Design Awards winners in a virtual live event during the DOMOTEX DIGITAL DAYS on May 20th.

Turquoise Mountain

Finalists in the category "Best Emerging Designer"

Seo Hye Lee
Fashion Institute of Technology | New York, USA

Constructive NYC

Constructive NYC captures Seo Hye Lee's New York. Lee based the design on a photo of the city's skyscrapers, commenting: "I usually love the city, but the feeling of standing in the middle of huge buildings is overwhelming. So I changed the colours with blue, cold colours to show my impressions of the city."

Nanci Lynch
London Metropolitan University | London, UK

(I’d rather be in) Pantelleria

In Lynch's own words, this design is "inspired by a villa floor in southern Italy, an accumulation of work during this lockdown, dreaming of sunny days, cool but warm floor underfoot and evoking memories of good times". It is a clever translation of a floor mosaic into a rug design.

Milad Sediqi
Turquoise Mountain Institute | Kabul, Afghanistan

My Story

Sediqi's design is titled "My Story" and features a love poem and an apotropiac message. The lines form a weave that represents the directions in which his feelings and creative impulses take him, and his struggles to find an expressive outlet. White represents light and blue Sediqui's blue moods.