Artist Statement

My company, Noreen Seabrook, specializes in crafting custom handmade Tibetan rugs exclusively made in Nepal, employing designs that transcend conventional aesthetics.

Inspired by traditional Tibetan tiger rugs, I named this exhibition “Rug Life,” paying tribute to the culture, households, and monasteries integral to my life since my first visit to the country in the late 90s. This show marks the first appearance of many of these tiger rugs since their original design hundreds of years ago.

The manufacturing process begins in Kathmandu, Nepal, where we source original Tibetan Tiger designs from our library. Our team of artists then meticulously translates these designs onto loom graphs and custom hand-dyes each color. Each rug is woven from 100% Tibetan Wool, sourced from the high Himalayas, and carefully hand-knotted using a traditional Tibetan 100-knot crossed weave. The rugs are hand-washed and sun-dried and undergo a final finishing process of hand shearing and hand carving.

These pieces have been a part of my life since I was a child. This show is an homage to the designs that have captured my imagination for over thirty years.

Artist Biography

Marko Nichols-Marcy, 38, is from Red Hook, New York. He is the creative director and designer at Noreen Seabrook Handmade Carpets, a carpet importer brand renowned for its high-quality hand-knotted Tibetan carpets.

Mafia

Founded in Buenos Aires in 2012, Mafia began as a pursuit to find the ultimate bag to carry our wetsuits around the globe. We knew we wanted a sustainable solution, but it had to be premium and useful too – something we could seamlessly carry from the plane, to the beach and onto the city.

We made our first bags using an upcycled sail, learning as we went, but we couldn’t shake the feeling that we were onto something big. Soon our community and friends began donating sails to use, and we developed a circular relationship where they tested our packs out on the sea and we created new designs from their retired sails. Now operating across two countries, we're growing the team and have expanded our products from that globe-trotting wetsuit bag to a refined assortment of versatile packs and totes to serve people from all walks of life. We’re fortunate to regularly work alongside industry leaders from Patagonia Provisions, MoMA, the Stanford Design School and others to bring you innovative, low-impact products from reclaimed materials.

We remain dedicated to the community in which we live, employing local people to cut and sew each bag right here in California. We'll fix and repair any product you get from us for life. And we are doing our part to help people buy less but buy better.

Western Hydrodynamic Research

The WHR.Institute is a community based organization that provides immersive experiences, educational programs, and beach utility products.

All WHR products are designed to be functional and durable while enhancing the users' experience and connection to their environment. The WHR Institute suggests that you wear our products hard and forever.