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Over the years, we have sought highly qualified jurors from various artistic fields. This year, we are delighted to welcome Azy Schecter and Susan Gomersall, owners of KEA Carpets and Kilims in Brooklyn, New York, as judges for our 2011 Juried Competition. We feel fortunate to be able to work with artists of this caliber, and are in their debt for sharing their talents with us. KEA Carpets and Kilims offers a combination of ‘in-house’ designed custom rugs and tribal rugs, as well as luxurious textiles from around the globe.
Azy Schecter thinks in loops and patterns; Susan Gomersall has spent thirty years traveling and searching for rugs; and Richard Starna holds down the fort. These three are the owners of KEA Carpets and Kilims, a rug shop on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, one of the main arteries for interior design in New York. The shop specializes in an eclectic mixture of antique tribal rugs and contemporary hand-tufted rugs. Azy, Susan and Richard are a colorful team in a colorful shop of wild and wonderful textiles.
The tribal collection is hand selected and curated by Susan Gomersall. Susan, originally from the UK, left there in 1971 and proceeded to study ancient stone carvings in the Middle East. Living with Kurdish nomads, she discovered kilims and never returned home. Instead, she traveled throughout Asia, buying and trading rugs. This Tribal Collection is the culmination of decades of world travel in the quest for unique and beautiful Tribal and Village carpets and textiles. Susan tells of her adventures in her book, Kilim Rugs: Tribal Tales in Wool (Schiffer Book for Collectors and Designers).
The custom collection of modern rugs is designed by Azy Schechter, who uses a special hand-tufting gun given to her by a group of Indian craftspeople with whom she worked in the early 1990s. Each piece is made from 100% hand-tufted New Zealand wool, which has a flexibility integral to her designs. Azy’s works evoke a recognition of Minimalism, in conversation with classic textile design.
Azy’s designs emerge from her childhood as the daughter of a New York painter, but she also mentions designer Eva Zeisel as a major influence. There is something of whimsy and fluidity in designs like her ‘Fingerprint’ series. The natural world is very important to her. “The initial inspiration for the ‘Fingerprint’ series came from watching raindrops hitting the stream behind my home. I loved the way they wobbled and spread. I thought of them as the fingerprints of water.” Some of Azy’s designs have a sort of 1960s look to them, which she loves. “Its retro without being retro,” she explains. “I like things to move. What I love about rugs, as opposed to textiles, is that the same design will always produce something different.”
You are cordially invited to visit their website.
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