Swiss artist brings Indian rug-making tradition to world stage

A near-extinct carpet-making technique is receiving global exposure thanks to collaboration between a Swiss artist and Indian artisans.  Instead of fulfilment, an opportunity for Karim Noureldin to be a part of a unique artistic project only brought frustration. He was among ten artists invited to create designs that would each be transformed into carpet artworks in China. It was a unique chance for the Swiss-Egyptian artist, who was already a fan of textiles due to the many parallels with his geometric designs realised with colour pencils on paper.  “I wasn't happy with the result. So much so, that I bought the carpet I had designed,” he told swissinfo.ch.  The frustration with the outcome is what drove Noureldin on a quest to find a partner that would produce the perfect carpet for his abstract work. Online research and well-connected contacts led to him to India. Three years ago, he found a workshop near Delhi that could produce “dhurrie” rugs to his liking. But Noureldin ...