THE NORTHERN LIGHTS IN JAN KATH’S HAND-KNOTTED CARPETS Light is comprised of many colours. This is shown off in a particularly spectacular way in the northern lights, visible in winter months in the far north.This spectacle of nature, which Jan Kath -one of the world’s most in-demand designers of hand-knotted carpets- once experienced himself during a trip through Siberia. It was an inspiration for the JAN KATH collection SPECTRUM, as were the myths and fairy tales about dancing wisps of lights above gloomy moors and in dark pine forests.In SPECTRUM, Jan Kath works on a wider scale, opening up new worlds of colour that could serve as a background for classic ornaments in the next step. Knot by knot, the spectrum of light is translated into wool and silk by the weavers, and that fleeting moment is captured in the carpet so that the beholder can let themselves be caught up in it. The realization of this design, which is hand-knotted in Nepal, is intricately complicated and entails up to 40 different colours that bleed into each other in a soft gradient.“You can be cool while still keeping your feet warm!” says Jan. With his modern designs, Jan Kath -originally from Bochum, born 1972- purposely breaks with conventional styles and throws strict design rules overboard. He is creating a completely new perspective on carpets. Guided by a bold approach in his work, Kath combines classical elements of Oriental carpets with contemporary, minimalist design.
