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Location: Australia
Date Completed: 2021
Photographer Credit: Sum Effect Photography

For The Firesun Collection, Dena Lawrence collaborated with the finest artisan weavers in Kashmir to translate the sense of freedom captured in her paintings into astonishing handwoven rugs. Dena’s vibrant colours and intuitive designs are dynamic, progressive, and conversational pieces influenced by the Australian landscape and wildflowers, and bridge the earthy elements to the esoteric. Each piece reflects her journey as an artist using intuition and improvisational experiments to create beauty. They are lively, interactive, and mood-boosting.

The Firesun Collection is a luxurious line of hand-knotted rugs, inspired by elemental forces and the natural world. Each rug is a work of art, finely knotted in Kashmir from 100% silk. Kashmir pure silk carpets are regarded as being among the finest handmade rugs in the world, known for their beauty and strength. The collection employs a high knot density to convey the dynamic movement of Lawrence’s paintings in hyper-real detail. The tightly packed, intricate knots make the rugs durable, and this structural integrity allows the subtle tonal shifts of Dena Lawrence’s paintings to be replicated and enhanced in woven form. The result is a shimmering, painterly expression with vivid intensity that will bring unique luxury to any space.

The weaving of these designs in Kashmir was a new concept for the weavers who had previously only woven traditional Persian carpet designs. Initially, Dena Lawrence’s free-flowing abstract works, full of curvilinear gestures, were challenging. The best master-weavers in Srinagar were employed for the project and training was given so that the weavers could create these new concept rugs. Their expertise enabled a successful merging of modern expressionist art from Australia with the timeless technique of hand-knotted rugs.

Each rug is highly detailed and has an energetic effect. The density of the knots means that every nuance of a painting, from purposeful brushstroke to chance droplet, is faithfully captured in silk, transforming the daubs and splashes of paint created in an instant, into a rug that can last generations. This literal translation is achieved using a carpet-weaving language of symbols called Talim. The intricate design and skill of the weavers enabled the Universe piece to capture the sense of drama and mystery of the Universe in silk, currently topical with the new James Webb space telescope increasing awe at the beauty of the universe.