A young star of an old craft
- Nelly established her own studio when she was only 22
- She aims to preserve rare Armenian carpet weaving traditions
- She describes her approach to carpet weaving as meditative
Armenians have been weaving carpets from time immemorial, yet you hardly meet a young carpet weaver like Nelly Ananyan as it is believed to be an old fashioned craft. Nelly is the youngest carpet weaver in Armenia. Still in her mid-20s, she has already founded her own carpet weaving studio, where she offers unique weaving experiences as well as professional classes. She was fascinated by old Armenian carpets as a little girl; she remembers staring at carpets and playing with colourful threads. She began weaving as a hobby, joining a small club in her local community, but a few years later she understood it would be her career. She describes carpet weaving as meditative: “While weaving I think of small details and concentrate on each knot,” she says.
INTERVIEW
I started attending amateur carpet weaving courses in my community, and it took me a few classes to understand that I wanted to weave carpets professionally. It felt like I'd found what I'd been searching for for a long time.
I have always been fascinated by colourful threads. I would make dolls, bags and other accessories as a kid. Later, I understood that the process of weaving is like meditation: you spend the process thinking of small details and concentrating on each step.
In my work, there is a lot of inspiration from old Armenian accessories as well as traditions. I believe that by creating my own works, I help to preserve not only this unique craft but also Armenian culture.
My teacher was always telling me that everybody needs to learn a craft. The most important thing is to love what you do and not be afraid of failure. It is essential to understand your work profoundly and find ways to experiment with it.
2 EXPERIENCES
