Alexandra Copeland shares her journey from ceramics to carpet weaving via Afghanistan.
Twenty-two years ago my weaving project in Afghanistan started in a very small way.
My involvement with Afghanistan started with a visit in 1972, travelling home overland from Europe to Australia. Making a living as an artist is precarious, but for fifty years I have been able to supplement my income as an artist by collecting and selling the splendid textile arts of Afghanistan, resulting in two or three visits there most years. I have always carried a sketchbook with me, so my Afghan friends were familiar with my artwork. In 2002 I was asked by an old Afghan friend, Haji Nabi, if I could design carpets to be made by weavers who had been displaced by invasion and civil war.
My first impulse was to provide simple geometric designs that would be easy to weave. I soon realised that the weavers were capable of following complex curved designs. In my painting and ceramics, I leave the outlines as part of my work, and the weavers did the same, incorporating my drawing lines as a part of the designs.
I have exhibited my glaze-painted ceramics in public and private galleries every year since 1983. I found that I was able to utilize the subject matter found in my ceramics for my carpet designs.
I draw my designs on large sheets of paper. The drawings that I provide are one-quarter of the final sizes of the carpets. Colour accuracy is extremely important. It was impossible for me to arrange for vegetable dyes to be used but modern chemical dyes can be mixed to give any colour that I need. I mix watercolours and provide a colour chart for each carpet.
With the tumult of war since 1978 the local sheep’s wool was not available in reliable quantities. New Zealand farmers have bred sheep especially suited for carpet making, and it is readily available to the weavers. It takes the dye more reliably than the wool produced in Afghanistan and will last for many years on the floor.
Over two decades the dyers and weavers and I have gradually become more sophisticated. Recently I have begun to colour my drawings using Clip Studio, a computer program. I still start with a pencil drawing on paper. The dyers have also adapted, and are happier doing it this way.
Carpet weaving in Afghanistan has traditionally been carried out by women. Tribal weaving was a disappearing art even in the 1970s, with most carpets then made for the market. The carpets still used traditional tribal motifs or adaptations of tribal designs. Invasion and war though have virtually wiped out the old tribal way of life.
In current conditions, Afghan women are confined to their houses unless accompanied outside by male family members. My carpets are woven on traditional horizontal looms set up in the weaver’s homes.
I have always felt that the subject matter used on the carpets should be relevant to the life of the weavers. Grape vine leaves and pomegranates were early motifs, also found on my ceramics. Gardens and flowers are very dear to Afghan hearts. The Tree of Knowledge is a traditional theme in Afghan art, most often appearing on prayer rugs.
I also need to make my carpets relevant to people in Australia. Every house in Melbourne needs a hall runner. I’ve settled on 300 x 75cm, but will probably design longer ones at some point. My largest room-size carpet designs are about 270x180cm. Because the carpets are handwoven on basic horizontal looms the sizes vary slightly. With colour and size variations I currently have 24 designs.
Because the wool needs to be dyed in economical batches I start with an order of four of each design. The carpets might have up to eight different colours. The carpets are not made in “limited editions” but the time involved in making a carpet means that the numbers woven are very limited. It can take around four to six months to weave a carpet, with one or two weavers working on each carpet.
Eighteen weavers are now working exclusively on my carpets. It is very satisfying to employ women who would otherwise have no chance of earning an income. It gives them contact with the outside world. And it also gives me satisfaction to see my drawings made real.
I am still in contact with Haji Nabi’s grandchildren, and they help coordinate the carpet project. It has become very difficult to visit Afghanistan, but WhatsApp helps me to keep track of the weaving.
Although I cannot afford to make a loss on the carpets I have kept the prices unrealistically low. It is important that I sell the carpets so that the weavers have continuity of employment. I no longer have my own gallery, so I rely on selling the carpets at gallery exhibitions or open studio weekends at my home in Melbourne. If people are interested in seeing the carpets they can contact QDOS Arts, a gallery at Lorne in Victoria, or they can contact me via Instagram, @alexandra_e_copeland.
Letter from Faridoon
In 2002 Faridoon’s grandfather asked me if I could design carpets for Afghan weavers who had been displaced by war In Afghanistan. The carpet project has been difficult to sustain, but it has been revived and I am able to receive carpets as they are woven.
Faridoon speaks four languages and has Year 12 English. He managed to be on a plane leaving Kabul in the week that the Taliban took over. He and some family members are now refugees in Amsterdam, but he still helps to coordinate the carpet project for us using WhatsApp on his mobile phone. He recently sent us this message to update us on the current situation in Afghanistan.
Dearest Leigh and Alexandra
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to share with you the heartfelt process behind the weaving of your carpets, as I believe it is important to understand the dedication and resilience of the women who create them.
Our carpets are crafted by hardworking women aged between 40 to 50 years old, who devote their time and skill to this art. They work from their homes in the open air, facing numerous challenges, especially during the cold weather. Many of these talented artisans reside in Imam Sahib, a village in Kunduz, and we distribute to over 120 households in this area and the surrounding regions, including Mazar Sharif villages which is about 200 km away from the city centre.
Unfortunately, there are no industries in their vicinity, and they often struggle with the harsh conditions. Some of them bring their weaving frames indoors to sleep next to them, trying to find warmth and comfort. They have expressed their desire for more durable steel frames, but the cost is prohibitive at this time.
We are committed to improving their working environment and will continue to explore ways to support them, but please understand that meaningful change takes time. Your support means the world to us and to the women whose lives are intertwined with this craft.
Thank you for your understanding and for valuing the stories behind our carpets.
Warm regards,
Faridoon
About Alexandra Copeland
Alexandra Copeland grew up in Warrandyte, Victoria, a community of artists and potters. In 1983 she had her first exhibition of glaze-painted majolica pottery. Works from the exhibition were purchased by the National Gallery of Victoria and the National Gallery of Australia. Alexandra has exhibited her ceramics and paintings every year since then including eight exhibitions in Japan. Alexandra has collected museum-quality textiles and carpets from Afghanistan and Central Asia since 1974, and in 2002 was asked to design carpets for refugee Afghan weavers. Despite difficulties the project continues, now employing eighteen weavers in their homes.
