Artist Jaime Hayon's Japanese & Afghan Folklore Rugs

Folklore Told Through Modern Rugs by Jaime Hayon

Artist Jaime Hayon has collaborated with the Italian carpet manufacturer, Nodus, on a series of rugs that depict Japanese and Afghan folklore with a modernized twist. These artistic rugs are playful, colorful, and tell beautiful stories. Let’s explore the collection.

Jaime Hayon’s Japanese folklore rug.

History of Jaime Hayon

Jaime Hayon is a Spanish artist and designer, born in Madrid in 1974. He has a degree in industrial design. From 1997 to 2003, he directed the design department at Fabrica, but left his position there to fully dedicate his time to his art. Currently based in Valencia, Spain, his studio “Hayon Studio” was formed in 2001. He creates luxury home goods such as furniture and lighting fixtures, as well as creating complete interiors for places like museums, hotels, and restaurants. In addition to his home base of Valencia, he also works in Barcelona and Treviso, Italy.

Artist Jaime Hayon.

Hayon is well known in the art and design world. He has a wide client base of well known names including Swarovski, B.D. Barcelona, Fritz Hansen, Baccarat, and many more. He has won plenty of prestigious awards, including being named one of the most creative icons by Times magazine, earning a spot on Wallpaper Magazine’s “Top 100” List, and receiving the Elle Decoration International Design Award multiple times. His pieces are part of the selections of many collectors worldwide, as well as in London‘s Design Museum, Centre Pompidou, Gallery Thomas in Munich, and many others.

Jaime Hayon at work in the studio.

Folklore Rugs by Jaime Hayon

Collaborating with luxury rug manufacturer Nodus, Jamie Hayon designed two stunning tapestry rugs. One rug is called “Afghan Folklore” and the other “Japanese Folklore”, each representing traditional stories from those countries. The decorative designs are colorful and eclectic, and at first glance may seem hard to understand. However, the drawings and designs pictured on the rugs are all motifs, characters, or allegorical elements from the stories. They are designed using tribal elements from these societies to convey the local heritage and belief systems.

Jaime Hayon’s Japanese and Afghan folklore rugs.

These whimsical, bright tapestry rugs are meant to convey the bright and colorful history and society of the people they are about. In his Afghan piece specifically, Hayon notes that the Afghan artists themselves have a very special weaving technique and history. He tried to emulate this in his own work, using sharp detail and care in each and every thread.