ABOUT RUTH

I'm a textile designer, artist and art historian and I live with my family in Sydney, Australia. As a designer and business owner, it is my goal to constantly push the boundaries of art and design while always maintaining a strong ethical commitment in everything I do.

 

My love of all things beautiful and harmonious, of rugs, textiles and art together with a strong belief in social justice led me to do what I do.  My rugs begin their epic journey as paintings created from many different objects and materials. Texture is a integral part of each design and I am truly grateful to have a wonderful relationship with my manufacturers and the weavers as there are often many heated discussions on the best way to translate this texture from the painting to the rugs! 

 

I was born in Johannesburg. The beautiful African landscape, rich culture and wonderful textiles were always a source of inspiration to me. Growing up in the 1970's under Apartheid in South Africa however, I was always deeply disturbed by the separation I saw in families. People would come to the cities to find work and leave their children and ageing parents sometimes from one Christmas to the next. It broke my heart and it still does.

 

When I first started producing my rugs I saw the same thing happening in India and Nepal - the artisans would leave their homes and families and go away for months on end to find work.

 

It has taken a while to implement but our rugs are now crafted in small villages in either the north of India or Nepal. In India, most of the homes in the village now have a loom so the more rugs we make the more work we create for our families. While the parents work at the looms their children can go to the small school nearby, elderly family members are taken care of which is a significant part of Indian culture and the family unit is preserved. In Nepal families live nearby the mill and there is a school attached to the mill so children can be close to their parents. This is what matters to me. 

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