Color Is Our DNA
Color Is Our DNA
Michael Howells for Rug Star
Color Is Our DNA is a custom rug collection designed by Michael Howells for Rug Star, in collaboration with Christiane Millinger Handmade Rugs. Helmed by Jürgen Dahlmanns, Berlin-based Rug Star is internationally renowned for its bold designs and artful interpretations of traditional rug patterns.
The collection features 9 abstract motifs. Each was hand knotted in silk and wool by exceptional textile artisans in Rajasthan. Color Is Our DNA is available at Christiane Millinger Handmade Rugs in Portland, OR, and via Rug Star worldwide. In 2020, Color Is Our DNA was a Best Design and Best Collection finalist at Domotex, the prestigious global trade show for new textiles.
Color Is Our DNA was published in Interior Design and Cover magazines.
A fundamental thing about works of art is that they have no practical function. What I love about the rugs is the paradox of their being functional works of art by intention, and the experience of creating these pieces with Rug Star and Christiane Millinger has been so much richer than if I had merely made paintings. They can be enjoyed without the need of being taken too seriously.
Pattern play
Inspiration for this collection came from lofty sources and the ordinary. Abstracting alphabet letters beyond recognition produces shapely flourishes...
Wool and silk
Color Is Our DNA comes in all wool iterations, as well as a blend of wool and silk.
King's robe
Master weavers from Rajasthan hand knot each rug in teams, a skill passed down through generations. The finished product is celebrated with the makers and designers donning the rugs as robes, the better to show off their colors and textures.
Photographer: Laurie Black