Lucia Eames’s Playful Art Finds New Ground As Rugs

The Lucia Eames Collection of rugs by Nanimarquina reveals the apple did not fall far from the tree. The whimsical, graphic floorcoverings are based on works by the American artist, daughter of designer Charles Eames and stepdaughter to his partner, Ray Eames. The pieces celebrate Lucia’s joyful visual language of butterflies, birds, and other organic motifs, adapted using techniques such as sculptural tufting with varied pile heights. The California-based talent, who passed away in 2014 at age 83, was introduced to weaving at an early age and maintained a lifelong interest in textiles and material experimentation. So, it’s fitting the rugs are made using natural fibers, including Afghan and New Zealand wool and hand-braided jute, and leverage multiple techniques: hand-knotting, -stitching, -tufting, -looming, and embroidery. Fabricated in India and Pakistan, the series was produced in collaboration with Eames Office (which Lucia was involved in) and initiated by Form Portfolios. nanimarquina.com