ATELIER — 2021 COLLECTION —
The art of textiles is a vibrant conversation between shadow and light.
MIRAGE IN LUNA HELIG IN LUNA
ATELIER — 2021 COLLECTION —
Introducing Atelier 2021, a new collection of natural rugs that elevates textile weaving to an art form. The theme of the collection is the perception of light: a celebration of light and shadow in nature, expressed with the textural palette of hand-selected natural yarns.
Atelier 2021 is also an homage to visionary artists who have explored and deepened that conversation through painting, sculpture and land art. The art nouveau craftsmanship of the Wiener Werkstätte made art for the lived environment. Art deco used invented materials to reinterpret nature. Artists like James Turrell and Anish Kapoor bend and reflect light to create works that rely as much on the viewer’s experience as the artist’s concept. Look closely and you’ll discover hints of their work and others throughout this collection, strands of the beautiful thread that connects all great design to the layered history of art and architecture, consciously or not.
To experience these rugs is to feel the hand of Merida’s master weavers in Fall River, the exquisite technique that can only come from years of dedicated practice in a workshop that encourages innovation through spirited collaboration. The result is a collection made by artisans at their most creative and courageous. We invite you to take a closer look.
HELIG IN LUNA
HARMONY S IN VERSAILLES
ENIGMA IN VERSAILLES
GAMEN S IN LUNA
CLARA IN AURELIAN
Textile design as an art form is a conversation between yarns and light. It is the interplay of light and shadow that reveals the subtle yet complex properties of the yarns. Light brings vibrancy to materials; shadow gives form to beauty.
Like players in a jazz ensemble, every yarn used in this collection finds its place in the weave: the cadence of thin-felted wool and alpaca; the cross-rhythm of linen and mohair; the chase of silk wool and twisted wool; the harmony of two yarns plied together to create its own blend of light and shadow. Different but equal, each yarn relies on the others to shine. It’s that dialogue between yarns that defines a Merida rug, an effortless beauty where nuance forms the motif, brought to life by skilled performers—masters of their craft.
— sylvie johnson textile designer and artistic director
DAWN IN AURELIAN
CHRYSALIS IN AURELIAN
CHRYSALIS IN AURELIAN GEM IN AURELIAN
BUND IN AURELIAN
Where there is joy in the making
there is beauty that moves you.
BALANCE IN VENUS BLOC IN VENUS
LOREM IPSUM
VESPER IN VENUS
ROYALE IN VENUS
More than any collection to date, Atelier 2021 underscores Merida’s counter-cultural mission to change the perception of textiles. In a world of cheaper, faster, and more disposable goods, we are committed to creating products of lasting beauty. The kind of beauty that moves you deeply, and imprints you for life. The kind of beauty that fills you with authentic joy that you just can’t fake. Once you experience beauty like that there is no turning back.
— catherine connolly merida ceo and owner
CONVEX IN BARRAGAN
Art stirs in us a conscious hope, like a lighthouse in the dark.
GLEAM IN BARRAGAN
The primary setting for this photoshoot is Van Doesburg House, a living museum and artists’ residency in the Parisian suburb of Meudon-Val-Fleury. The house was designed as a studio-home in 1920 by Theo Van Doesburg, a Dutch writer, poet, and critic who founded the De Stijl movement in 1917. Proponents of the movement, which included Piet Mondrian, advocated simplicity and abstraction in both architecture and painting, using straight lines and primary colors. De Stijl was a collective project that united the arts with society, industry, and the sciences, and its principles would influence Bauhaus architects like Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe.
The studio-space is the only surviving architectural work by the artist that has retained its original state: a simple composition of two interlocking cubes, one a residential space and one a studio space, with pivoting walls that allow the rooms to be reconfigured. A living testament to Van Doesburg’s trailblazing spirit and artist’s conviction, the studio-house is perhaps his boldest statement, and a continuing source of inspiration for generations of artists. Today the house is owned by the Netherlands and serves as a residential and studio space for Dutch artists, writers, and composers.
Merida thanks the government of the Netherlands and the Van Doesburg House Foundation for granting us access to this landmark space for presenting our groundbreaking collection. vandoesburghuis.com
TUIN IN HANAMI
HARMONY IN HANAMI SWING IN HANAMI
SWING IN HANAMI
Merida is an American textile house dedicated to the mastery of weaving, the artistry of design, and the beauty of natural yarns. We live by an unwavering commitment to creating products of originality using only rapidlyreplenishable materials, and the belief that lasting beauty and sustainability go hand in hand. In a world that is increasingly denigrated by disposable products, our mission is to bring the focus back to the noble practice of craftsmanship and the reciprocal joy of owning a rug that is made to last, good for the environment, and healthy for the home.
MERIDASTUDIO.COM
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ON THE COVER: GAZE IN VENUS France Photography: Richard Powers Fall River Photography: Jared Leeds
