Jan Kath tells stories. Not with words written on paper but certainly with the same eloquence. He combines old traditions from distant countries with visionary design to create unexpected works of art which one is only too happy to have underfoot.
Jan Kath has a passion for carpets in his genes: the Bochum resident is from the third generation of a carpet dealer dynasty and accompanied his father to the factories in Iran and Nepal as a small boy. And yet he didnot want to enter his father's business but find his own way – a journey which finally led him back to the profession. Fortunately – since he has completely reinterpreted ornate floor textiles.
Unconventional, visionary, wilful: the designer Jan Kath has many attributes. He has long been making carpet history with his extraordinary creations. By mixing the minimalist zeitgeist with oriental opulence, he creates works of art. When he tufts aspects of street graffiti on classical Persian carpets or erases repeating patterns in seemingly random places, he transforms perfection into the exciting antipode. It is the unexpected, the antithetic, the conscious break with style, which has become the signature of his compositions. He is now one of the most important international, award-winning carpet designers. His prowess has made its mark: his customers include royalty, prestigious fashion labels, international luxury hotels and numerous prominent individuals. When it comes to quality and production, Jan Kath is as uncompromising as his designs are impulsive and creative. Only the best quality yarns, including high-quality Tibetan highland wool, silk, rayon and nettle are used. The 1200 shades of colour, including bright turquoise, pink, blue and gold are achieved using ecologically tested natural dyes from Switzerland. And even though the creative process begins on a computer in Germany, the work is completed in family-run workshops in the Himalayas, India or the Moroccan Atlas Mountains – knotted by hand following the centuries-old tradition.
If one visits one of Jan Kath's showrooms, one begins to understand what it is that makes his work so special and brings him one design award after the other. Appearance and touch form an unsuspected symbiosis that leads to impressive, expressionistic, unique objects. The designer draws his inspiration mainly from his travels: his designs reflect nature, landscapes and things he has seen and experienced. The 'Sliced' collection is based on cross-sections of elegant gemstones: the cool marble appearance of agate, quartz or emerald contrasts with the warm wool. The 'Bidjar Evolution' is a development of a floral pattern from Northwest Persia. Complemented with contemporary colours, lines and erosions, the proven Ancient is lent modernity. The sublime tufting of street art slogans in customary hand-knotted oriental carpets of the underground 'Tagged' series is an absolute novelty. And in the 'Erased Classic' collection, the classic look is given the finishing touch with a partial acid wash. Of course, producing these works of art takes time. It takes the factory workers three to four months to create a 2.5 by 3 metre carpet. Depending on the material, one square inch (6.45 cm2) requires between 100 and 450 knots. Jan Kath appreciates the effort, commitment and knowledge of the traditional, regionally diverse knotting and hand tufting techniques of his workers. For him, respect and fair working conditions are a matter of course. And so we look forward even more to the continuation of his stories – in the antique collectibles of the future.
