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JAIPUR RUGS WINS EUROPEAN PRODUCT DESIGN AWARD FOR ARTISAN ORIGINALS DESIGN BY RURAL WEAVER
Weaver Dhafla Devi sits on her Ujjwal area rug, part of Jaipur Rugs' Artisan Originals collection. The rug design earned the bronze award in the European Product Design Awards.
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RAJASTHAN, India -- Jaipur Rugs' weaver-turned-designer Dhafali Devi has won a European Product Design Award for her Ujjwal area rug, the company announced.
Ujjwal was awarded the bronze award in the home furnishings textiles and floor coverings product category of the prestigious European Product Design Awards held in Germany. The design won out over competing entries from 60 countries, and it made Jaipur Rugs the first ever rug manufacturing company in the world to be nominated and go on to win Bronze in the annual competition.
"Winning these awards is a tremendous honor, it's a huge boost to our confidence when we compete and win against global brands and set a mark in the design world. Our artisans are encouraged to express their creativity through their craft and they go beyond boundaries with their original designs," said Kavita Chaudhary, design director, Jaipur Rugs.
"These awards reinforce the originality of Jaipur Rugs and strengthen the golden thread of the company that includes innovation, supply chain and the sustainable production and sustainable livelihood at the grassroots," she continued.
Kavita Chaudhary, herself an internationally acclaimed designer, has received many accolades for her designs including the German Design Award for three consecutive years in 2016, 2017, and 2018. She received the European Design Award in Germany on behalf of Devi.
Jaipur Rugs' Ujjwal area rug, designed by weaver Dhafali Devi, is part of the company's Artisans Original collection, and took home a bronze European Product Design Award.
Devi, who has been weaving for the last 20 years in rural Rajasthan, created the award winning design for Jaipur Rugs' Artisan Originals collection which gives weavers free rein to design their own rugs. Originally an experiment, the collection has become a movement for artistic exploration, professional growth and empowerment in multiple capacities. The artisans weave their own stories into their one-off rugs using sustainable materials.
The pattern of Dhafali Devi's Ujjwal rug signifies her love for her family and how she embraces each one of them. Along with the 'Leheriya' (a wavy pattern famous in Rajasthan), she has included other elements from her home surroundings.
Chaudhary noted that weavers such as Devi bring a fresh perspective to the area rug design and handicraft industry, one that is inspired by the lives of real people of rural India, their culture and relationships. She explained that "Manchaha", which means made from the heart, is illustrated in Devi's approach to her Ujjwal design, which also includes elements from her home such as loose hanging glasses of a grandfather, turnips in her kitchen surrounded by butterflies, and also earthen pots (Kalash), raw mangos (Kairi) and shakkarpara (Breakfast snack). "What differentiates this rug is its simplicity and it natural colors, and the stunning story that flowed from Dafali Devi's pure heart and imagination," she said.
Jaipur Rugs works with close to 40,000 artisans in 600 villages in India, providing families with sustainable livelihood at their doorsteps. Each of the company's rugs passes through 180 hands, perfecting the timeless art of handmade rugs. Jaipur Rugs also continues to work with over 2,500 women yarn spinners from Bikaner who spin yarn on a rudimentary 'charkha', consciously choosing not to replace hundreds of hand-spinning jobs with machines.
Dhafla Devi, a weaver in rural India, is one of 40,000 artisans with whom Jaipur Rugs works toward its goal of women's empowerment and professional growth.