Silvia di Piazza

Carpet maker

Drawing with the drill and wire

Silvia has been making carpets using the hand-tufting technique since 2009
All her products are unique pieces
She can turn a drawing or photo into a rug

Before discovering carpet making through hand-tufting, Silvia di Piazza was a florist. She encountered weaving by accident, and quickly realised that it was right for her. Silvia taught herself the techniques of her craft, and years of practice and experimentation have allowed her to make this art her profession. Her creations have caught the attention of artists, interior designers, architects and others in Italy and all over the world. The hand-tufting technique is about creating a composition by working on the reverse side of the rug, which means Silvia only sees the full final result of her work once she has finished. In recent years, she has run creative projects with children and produced their drawings as carpets.

Interview

How did you get into this craft?: It was my curiosity that got me into weaving. After closing my flower shop I was offered a small job at a small local textile company. That was the first time I stood in front of a hand loom. I tried out a weaving technique used for rug making called hand-tufting, and this became the technique with which I still make my creations.
What technique do you use to make your carpets?: The technique I use is called hand-tufting and involves working vertically on a canvas. The tool I use looks like a drill but works like a sewing machine. Just as the painter transfers colour onto the canvas by using a brush, so I create the carpet by weaving the threads on the back of the support with the use of this particular machine.
What are your sources of inspiration?: Part of my production originates from a special 'artistic collaboration' with children. Their inexhaustible imagination, expressive freedom and creative innocence have been the source of inspiration for a number of works that are very dear to me and these have been a great success. I got the idea from looking at a drawing made by my five-year-old niece. I thought it would be perfect as a rug. Today that rug is in Beverly Hills.
What do you love most about your work?: When I create my carpets I savour every moment of the process. Each carpet has its own progression, and the creation process is unique to each piece. I always start with an idea, but I never know what the final result will be because when I work I let my imagination and feelings carry me away. Because I work on the back of the carpet, it is only at the end that I discover the result and it is always an exciting surprise.

Silvia di Piazza is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2009 and she started teaching in 2021