British artist Debbie Lawson has found a unique way to connect two dimensions with a third using carpets. In her works, three-dimensional wild animals emerge from flat textures, as if coming to life from the fabric of the past.
The technology for creating these sculptures combines the skill of handicrafts with a deep artistic vision. Lawson begins with a thin wire mesh, from which she forms the frame of the animal. This “skeleton” is covered with protective tape, creating the basis for the next stage. The finishing touch is the carpet itself, which she skillfully drapes, creating the illusion of the animal’s appearance.
Lawson uses carpets with traditional oriental patterns, which gives her works an additional sense of historicality. They are organically woven into the shape of the animals, turning decorative textiles into living matter.
For many, Lawson’s works acquire a special meaning. Carpets are associated with coziness, a symbol of family wealth and, at one time, even an obligatory wall decoration. But what if a carpet no longer just hangs, but becomes a portal from which an elk, deer or bear looks out?
Her art seems to play with the imagination, rethinking the everyday and the familiar. Lawson creates a metaphor for transformation - the transition from a frozen object to a moving one, from decorative to living.
One of the sculptures, called "Red Bear", was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The Persian Bear and Elk on a Persian Carpet are permanently exhibited at the London Town Hall Hotel.
Lawson's work is not only an exploration of the boundaries between two- and three-dimensionality, but also an invitation to dialogue: with tradition, with materiality and with space.
So if you ever see an old rug with a bear 'peeping out' of it, don't be alarmed - it's just an invitation to see the world a little differently.
Source:
thisiscolossal.com
theauctioncollective.com
