Carpets Of Imagination

Alicia Keshishian has been an art director, designer, and illustrator for more than 25 years. After beginning her career in San Francisco, Alicia moved to New York City, working in a variety of different industries, including fashion, publishing, music and crafts. Along the way, Alicia has won various awards such as The Society of Publication Designers, Art Directors Club, Art Director’s Creativity, and Communication Arts. Between jobs and coasts Alicia spent two years as an artist-in-residence exploring surface design at the Penland School in North Carolina.

“My true loves have always been color and texture which come directly from my family,” Alicia says. “There’s been a long line of accomplished artists on both sides of my family, and my Armenian-born grandfather was a renowned Oriental rug authority. The company he founded decades ago is managed to this day by my uncle and cousin in the Washington, D.C. area. So, carpets have been part of my life as long as I can remember—the smell of the wool, the touch of the fibers, the variety of patterns. It all feels like home to me. Rugs are an ideal medium for creating an intimate piece of art. ... Seeing a finished rug in it’s chosen space brings me great joy and I’d love to share that joy with you.”

Carpets of Imagination rugs are hand-made in Nepal with the finest Tibetan wool obtained from high-altitude sheep. This wool produces a very strong, yet soft, fiber that is rich in natural lanolins and delicious to walk on. Frequently, silk is incorporated as an accent, adding a rich luster to the carpets.

The weavers in Nepal use centuries-old weaving techniques, first carding the raw woolen fibers and then spinning and dyeing them. Using 3-ply wool and a traditional Tibetan knot, the weaver creates the rug, with the design revealing itself knot by knot, row by row. The final result is a unique and resilient carpet of extraordinary quality and beauty.

Alicia Keshishian and Carpets of Imagination have been featured in numerous publications, such as Real Simple Magazine (July 2007), Interior Design Magazine (July 2007), Interior Design Market Tabloid (May 2007), California Home + Design Magazine (April 2007), Apartment Therapy E-Zine (October 2006), Shop, Etc. Magazine (April 2006), The Los Angeles Times (October 2005), HFN, (March 2005).

	RUGMARK Alicia has participated in RUGMARK from the onset of her business. RUGMARK Foundation is an international, non-profit organization committed to ending illegal child labor and supports the education of children within the weaving community. “I’m grateful to the weavers for bringing my designs to life. They are very much part of the creative process, applying their skills and expertise to each rug." Through RUGMARK Alicia is able to better support the well-being of Nepal’s rug-producing families. A percentage of every dollar spent producing each carpet goes to the continued support of RUGMARK.