Magical Floor Cloaks

05 December 2011,
If aladdin had come across Sonya winner’s rugs, he wouldn’t have needed a genie to sweep Jasmine off her feet.

Winner’s approach, having trained as a graphic designer, to designing rugs is quite unique in comparison to those who are experienced in the industry: She views her floor cloaks as art pieces, filling it with emotion and meaning as would a painter on a blank canvas. The standout quality about Sonya is that she customizes the fiber used according to request, if possible. Her limited edition Tree Trunk was requested in pure silk – a material in which rugs have never been made before. Winner herself was shocked at the beauty that resulted from the switch in composition; the colors were more pronounced and intense.

Tragically inspiring stories are everywhere, but it’s not common to find them expressed through design – then we came across Sonya Winner, a successful photographer turned rug designer after a fatal horse riding accident. Winner always had a love for rug designs, but it wasn’t until she was confined in the hospital and her breadwinning career started looking wane, that she turned to design for motivation, stimulation and hope. “The magic of creation was exhilarating and lifted my mood,” says Winner.

The ‘life’ in which Sonya encompasses can be seen in her work: The After Matisse, a piece inspired by paper cut-outs is a mirage of colliding colors in overlapping squares. The irregularly shaped rug is sculptured with a pile of height variations and carvings, hand tufted in pure New Zealand wool.