| AYKA DESIGN SELECTED FOR PRESTIGIOUS VENICE DESIGN EXHIBIT
Ayka's Beauty (shown hanging left) and Reflections were chosen for the Venice Design exhibit to reflect the city's rich jewel colors. |
VENICE -- Award-winning London rug atelier Ayka Design was selected to exhibit alongside design heavyweights such as Karim Rashid and Paul Kelly at the curated Venice Design 2016 held at the city's stunning Villa Palazzo Michiel. Venice Design is presented by the European Cultural Center during the Venice Architecture Biennale 2016.
"We are exhibiting two of our silk textures: Beauty and Reflections," said Ayka Design creative director K. Michelle Evans. "We selected these designs together with the show's curators to represent the rich jewel colors of Venice.
"For us it's a real honor to be present in such a unique exhibition -- it demonstrate how versatile our designs can be when combined with a modern and historic environment."
A full view of the room in Villa Palazzo Michiel which shows Ayka rugs and other hand-crafted furnishings as art objects at Venice Design 2016.
Ayka was invited by Global Art Affair, the show's promoter, after organizers had seen Ayka's contemporary designs. Recently showcased at the Rug Show in L.A., and at Domotex 2016 where it was a finalist in the Carpet Design Awards, the studio's Beauty design features rich colors in contrasting tones of golds, oranges and purples for a dramatic life-like portrait (read full story). While the version on display in Venice is a silk flatweave, the original Beauty design was crafted in a new technique of twisted silk yarns with long threads and flat looped knots evoking a modern abstract pattern when the rug is viewed close up.
A detail of the striking texture of the award winning all-silk Tibetan-knot Reflections rug by Ayka Design.
Venice Design 2016, running through the end of November, brings together a diverse group of participants from 17 countries ranging from emerging talent to established industry veterans. The exhibition is a chance for the spectators to see clever, unexpected solutions for the use of space and the impact design has on the people, show organizers stated.
The exhibition lasts from 28th May to the end of November and they expect the visitors mainly from the architectural and design worlds.
"We were thrilled to be invited. As soon as I saw the beautiful setting of the interior of the Palazzo Michiel, I couldn't refuse," Evans noted."
Ayka's rugs at Venice Design are part of a selection from 17 designers ranging from rising talents to international celebrities. Below, the exterior of the Villa Palazzo Michiel which houses Venice Design 2016.
