ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: NAT MAKS
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Nat Maks also known as Natascha Maksimovic is a designer, artist and wallpaper maker based in Margate, Kent. Her studio works in the time-honoured art form of ‘Suminagashi’ marbling. creating innovative art pieces by fusing traditional techniques with contemporary and expressive colour palettes.
Natascha has previously worked at the top echelons of the movie industry alongside Sir Ridley Scott. After moving into her own practice Natascha has maintained her love for imagery, craftsmanship and collaboration. The studio now creates equally epic, cinematic murals for any environment.
Wallpaper making & paper marbling have been listed as an endangered craft by The Heritage Crafts Association. Nat Maks is constantly striving to innovate and re-imagine these crafts, not only preserving them but making them relevant and accessible for the future.
The Knots Rugs x Nat Maks collaboration collection is a faithful expression of Nats timeless craftsmanship and artistic elegance and has been created by Knots using a variety techniques - experimenting with the use of non-conventional materials such as crepe paper which has resulted in an added level of texture and dimension.
All of the rugs in the collection have been hand-knotted by Artisan weavers in Nepal in Tibetan wool and Chinese silk and in some cases, linen too.
This handmade rug collection possess a rich history, documenting traditional weaving methods that have been passed down over a number of generations. The Artisans in Nepal use Tibetan knotting to create these luxury handwoven designs.
'DAWN'
Experimenting with the use of non-conventional materials such as crepe paper has resulted in an added level of texture and dimension which we have interpretated with the use of Tibetan wool, Chinese silk and Linen in a 150 knot quality. The intense orange and red colouration are reminiscent of blossom and the deep forest greens represent the structure and veins in the leaves.
'DUSK
Experimenting with the use of non-conventional materials such as crepe paper has resulted in an added level of texture and dimension which we have interpretated with the use of Tibetan wool, Chinese silk and Linen in a 150 knot quality. The pops of orange are reminiscent of blossom and the deep forest greens represent the structure and veins in the leaves.
'DREAMLAND'
With a nod to Helen Frankenthaler’s abstract landscapes, Dreamland has been taken from our very own oil ink colour swatch which feature pops of pinks, oranges, greens and golds, all of which were organically created with a paint brush on paper. This piece has been hand-knotted by Artisan weavers in Nepal, using 36 different colours in Tibetan wool and Chinese silk.
'MONSOON'
With a nod to Helen Frankenthaler’s abstract landscapes, Monsoon has been taken from oil ink colour swatch which features a bold, moody palette of deep blues and emerald greens with bright pops of oranges, reds and purples, all of which were organically created with a paint brush on paper. This piece has been hand-knotted by Artisan weavers in Nepal, using 42 different colours in Tibetan wool and Chinese silk.
'INK BLUE'
With a nod to Helen Frankenthaler’s abstract landscapes, Ink has been taken from our very own oil ink colour swatch, which was organically created with a paint brush on paper. The different tones of inky indigo blue, fading out into the soft neutral ground is from where the oil inks have dispersed across the paper, creating a ghostly edge. This piece has been hand-knotted by Artisan weavers in Nepal, using 16 shades of blue in Tibetan wool and Chinese silk.
'SEA MIST'
Out of the entire collection, Sea Mist is the most traditional of all the designs as its use of soot black and indigo blue colours are most closely associated with the original Japanese paper marbling art form. The swirling formations and smoke and cloud patterns that are created with the use of the oil-based ink on water produce a zen like sense of peace. This rug is a faithful expression of timeless craftmanship and artistic elegance.
'HIGH TIDE'
Drawing from the mystical ambiance of foggy mornings, High Tide evokes the soothing and calming atmosphere that comes in the early hours, with the day's possibilities waiting to emerge. With hues of blues and greens, this rug will transform your interior into a sanctuary of coastal tranquillity.
'LOW TIDE'
Drawing from the mystical ambiance of foggy mornings, Low Tide evokes the soothing and calming atmosphere that comes in the early hours, with the day's possibilities waiting to emerge. With hues of blues and greens, this rug will transform your interior into a sanctuary of coastal tranquillity.
'CAPRICCIO'
Capriccio has been designed by textiles designers Blackpop in collaboration with the Sir John Soane’s Museum. Using images from the Museum's archives, Blackpop's designer Maxine Hall has layered adapted imagery leaving us with an original and unique, gothic yet classic look and feel.
'FRESCO' | ORIGINAL
Fresco has been designed by textiles designers Blackpop in collaboration with the Sir John Soane’s Museum. Using images from the Museum's archives, Blackpop's designer Maxine Hall has layered adapted imagery leaving us with an original and unique, gothic yet classic look and feel. Fresco won Best Modern Design Select at the 2020 Carpet Design Awards
