The Dankil Depression is rather inhospitable – one of the hottest, lowest, and driest places on the planet – yet it still inspired Italo-Ethiopian designer Abreham Brioschi when developing the concept for his project with Nodus Rugs.
‘I often focus on the cultural and traditional practices of the people of the Omo Valley in Ethiopia, however, The ‘Dancalia’ (‘Danakil’) rug was born from a look further north, towards a place often referred to as the ‘Land of Fire’ or Danakil Depression,’ says Abreham.
The region features rifting and volcanic activity, plus a hydrothermal system that emits an acidic liquid in otherworldly colours. These vibrant salt pools have been realised in a circular rug using a Tibetan hand-knotting technique. ‘I’ve never worked on rugs before so I worked very closely with the team at Nodus and especially Andrea Galimberti who has been working in the industry for years,’ says Abreham.
For the other two rugs in the New Ethnic capsule collection Abreham continues his exploration of the theme of scarification, which is practised by different tribes in Ethiopia and around Africa. ‘The Mursi and Suri rug colours reflect the shade of the skin on which incisions are made,’ he explains. ‘For tactile reasons, I didn’t want to use a flat weave with just the shapes and colours depicting the healed incisions, but to raise the scar-shaped forms that would be created by the incisions on the skin.’
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