Kengo Kuma on crafting tactile luxury in his latest handmade carpet collaboration

FACES, a new collection by Jaipur Rugs, debuts at Salone 2026, the world’s leading international design and furnishing fair. The collection draws inspiration from the subtle, atmospheric language of Kengo Kuma, the Japanese architect known for designing museums, schools, and public spaces that engage with their surroundings and honour the materials used.

At Salone 2026, Jaipur Rugs and Kengo Kuma unveil a tactile new collaboration

Rather than offering a literal interpretation, FACES captures the fleeting and often unseen qualities of architecture—textures and transitions—reimagined through skilled artisanship. The resulting collection is both contemporary and deeply rooted in craft, designed to seamlessly inhabit modern living spaces.

Kengo Kuma talks to Indulge about his collaboration with Jaipur Rugs and the challenges of translating his philosophy into traditional rug-making techniques.

“I was drawn to the human dimension of their process. Jaipur Rugs is not only a brand; it is a network of hands, of stories, of lived time. My work has always sought to dissolve the distance between maker and material, and here that relationship already exists. It felt less like a collaboration and more like entering an ongoing conversation,” he says.

Speaking about the collection’s name, FACES, he explains that each rug carries traces of the individuals who made it—their decisions and emotions. “The name acknowledges the multiplicity of identities embedded within a single surface,” he adds.

For Kuma, openness and intimacy are not opposites; they coexist. In this collection, openness is expressed through porous compositions, subtle gradients, and spaces that allow the eye to breathe. “Intimacy exists in the tactile density, in the closeness of handwoven fibres. The rugs invite both distance and proximity,” he shares.

He considers tradition a living system. “I approach craftsmanship with respect for its inherent intelligence, allowing contemporary ideas to emerge organically from within it. Nature becomes the mediator, guiding proportion, texture, and imperfection,” explains Kuma, whose work often engages with light and material. In this collection, this is expressed through variations in weave, density, and fibre, which in turn affect how the rugs absorb and reflect light across their surface.

So, did the process of working with textiles change the way he thinks about architecture? “Textiles operate at a very human scale; they touch the body, they respond to movement. This sensitivity has influenced my thinking, especially regarding softness and adaptability in architecture. It reinforces the idea that space should not dominate, but gently accommodate,” says the architect, who did face some challenges while translating his design language into traditional rug-making techniques.

“The challenge was not in translation, but in reduction. Rug-making demands clarity; each gesture must be essential. This constraint is valuable. It strips away excess and allows the core idea to emerge with greater precision,” says Kuma, who imagines his creations inhabiting spaces that value quietness, where material can be felt rather than just seen. “They are not meant to dominate a room, but to anchor it—to create a subtle atmosphere that evolves with time and use,” he adds.

For him, this collaboration reaffirmed the importance of the connection between people, material, and place. “It is a reminder that the future of design lies not in technology alone, but in preserving and reinterpreting the essence of craft,” he concludes.

Price on request. Available online.

—manuvipin@newindianexpress.com

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