Iwan Maktabi the regional market leader in design carpets organized an evening of conversation about art, design and rugs with the world renowned carpet designer Jan Kath and Mohamed Maktabi at its flagship store in Ashrafieh. Iwan Maktabi engaged the audience with unique rug designs from both Mr. Kath's "Erased Heritage" and Mr. Maktabi's "Tamreen" collections. The clash between modernity and heritage, while mixing art and design as expressed in a carpet, enchanted the attending students, artists, designers, architects and public.
Mr. Mohmed Maktabi explained about Iwan Maktabi's participation by saying: "When art, design, and carpets clash in a creative process that is where Iwan Maktabi gets their finest. We wanted to celebrate the world of rug design from the perspective of the leading global designer Jan Kath. We also wanted to share that locally we can develop refined contemporary rugs that are all about design and art as in Iwan's 'Tamreen' collection." He later added that 'Tamreen' is one of the very few couture collections in the Arab world which is customizable as per clients needs, and it is highly influenced by Arabic calligraphic art from various Arab and Islamic eras.
Mr. Jan Kath delivered an inspirational talk focusing on how rug design is again defining the living space, he said: "We are on a mission to make our evolutionary designs appeal to contemporary thinking. With our contemporary designs we are bringing back rugs into the household. The collection "Erased Heritage" was developed with the ambition of becoming the antique collector's item of tomorrow, but only time will tell if we will succeed." He continued to say that: "People like Mr. Maktabi and myself who hail from long famisly traditions in rug design, we see ourselves on the frontier of developing the industry from design to production and are pioneering a fresh new perspective on rugs in contemporary life."
The event was part of the Beirut Design Week, which marked Iwan Maktabi's first participation in the annual event to celebrate design in Lebanon inspired by the global design weeks organized in various countries around the world. The Beirut Design week features exhibitions, conferences, workshops and open studio showcasing the work of local and international designers.
