Lookbook: Art under foot

Master carpet maker Paco Pakdoust translates contemporary South African artworks into the medium of wool and silk.

Translating artworks of oil and canvas into luxuriously hand-woven rugs is a challenge Paco Pakdoust relishes.  

Pakdoust has been in the business of making handcrafted rugs since 1997, weaving together the ancient craft of hand-knotting rugs with the principles of contemporary design. For the past five years, Pakdoust has been part of an interesting collaboration that sees him teamed up with leading South African artists to turn their painted works into rugs. 

The paintings first get translated into pixelations that determine the fineness of the weave. The dye master also uses this to select a simplified set of colours from a palette of more than a hundred.

The unique collaborations, which form part of the Southern Guild Collection, have seen artworks of diverse styles reinterpreted. From Conrad Botes' bold graphic illustration and a poignant landscape by Albert Redelinghuys to Kerri Evans' sensual nude and abstracts by John Murray, the resulting rugs are as artful as the original works.  

Scroll through this lookbook for a closer look at the collection of rugs.