Looking at Arizona feels like standing in front of an abstract painting, where the sculptural forms of Memphis design seem to be flattened onto a two-dimensional surface. Not by chance, perhaps, the Arizona carpet was made by the French artist Nathalie Du Pasquier in 1983, who a few years later opened up her creative approach to painting, which she spoke of as “an unknown territory” ready to be explored.
The quality of the craftsmanship, together with the bright colors and extravagant forms, are the distinctive features of Arizona. This rug is made by hand in pure wool by artisans in Nepal. The wool, before being knotted on the loom, goes through a long process of making, from the shearing of the sheep to the spinning, dyeing and washing of the carefully selected fibers.
Arizona was designed after a voyage in 1982, during which Nathalie Du Pasquier and her husband George Sowden were dazzled by African weaving workshops. The carpet references age-old African traditions, translated into the Memphis style.
