The schools of rug design

Anyone who's been to DOMOTEX before knows where to find a unique combination of modern and classic rug design: at the Lila Valadan exhibition at the Mohammad Naziri stand. In 2020, her exhibition will be titled "The 4 Seasons". Visitors will be taken on a journey into the unknown – a journey of "peace, virtue, harmony and chaos," to use Valadan's own words. And on this journey, she explains, visitors just might encounter an untold story. It is a story of a conversation between different schools of rug design – a conversation that can be heard only by the subconscious.

Minimalism is pared-back patterns and unequivocal colors – basically beauty in its purest form. The peace and calm of minimalism, which has been prized as a virtue since the Iranian mystics of the 12th century, radiates a charm that wins you over, heart and soul, by virtue of its sheer simplicity. Minimalism is about absence, not reduction, and is thus an examination of the essence of design. The minimalism collection on show in Hannover is intended as a manifestation of Sufi beliefs and traditions, woven into a divine, unique timelessness.

Geometry – Geometric design

Valadan sees geometry as a timeless medium for connecting the beginning with the end. For her, geometry has always been about more than just evocative geometric patterns; it is a powerful language of symbolism. In ancient Persia, architects (“muhandis”) used geometry as a means of measuring the proportions of the heavenly sphere and hence achieving an harmonious balance on Earth. In this sense, geometry has always been a bridge between the scientific and artistic worlds. Lila Valadan’s vision with her “Geometry” collection is to take the ancient geometric wisdom of the East and give it a unique new interpretation in which the essence of mathematics is in perfect harmony with the architecture of an exquisitely worked rug design.

Gardens, which in Persian mythology symbolize paradise and hence the eternal hereafter, are places of spiritual restoration amid an abundance of trees and flowers. The history of the Persian garden began thousands of years ago with a deep yearning that is still with us today: a yearning for oneness. Oneness with nature, oneness with the moment, and oneness with oneself. Valadan reminds us that our spirit merges and moves with the wind when it departs our body. That, in part, is why her “Floral” collection of exquisitely handcrafted rugs references a mystical garden that embraces both traditional and modern elements. “Floral” deciphers this relationship between the soul and its movement – a relationship between entity and environment – and in doing so encompasses a mystical garden held in fine balance between the realms of the traditional and modern by exquisite handcraftsmanship.

Untitled – Transitional design

The fourth season of Valadan’s exhibition at DOMOTEX 2020 stands for the undiscovered, the invisible, the unknown. Featuring deconstructed structures, jarring colors and a new perspective on tradition, it is designed, says Valadan, to open up a new way of looking at life. In her series “Untitled”, the irregularities of distorted structures serve to heighten the rugs’ artistic originality and aesthetic charm, thereby underscoring the notion that true beauty lies in imperfection. “Untitled” emphasizes the dichotomy between chaos and structure – our inner unrest, our curiosity, our striving, our compulsions, and the structured confusion of the human condition.