2018

From Rural Rajasthan to the World Stage: Artisan Weaver Brings Home German Design Award

National, February 2018: Bimla Devi, a weaver turned designer with Jaipur Rugs journeyed from rural Rajasthan to Frankfurt, Germany to receive the prestigious German Design Award for her rug, Kamal, along with Design Director, Kavita Chaudhary, who brought home the GDA 2018 Gold Award for her rug, Asthai. Till date, Jaipur Rugs is the only Indian brand to bring home GDA awards three years in a row.

Commenting on their victory, Kavita Chaudhary, Design Director, Jaipur Rugs said, “Winning these awards is a tremendous honor but to see Bimla Devi up on stage and finally receive the spotlight that these artisans deserve has been nothing short of magical. Our artisans are encouraged to express their creativity through their craft and Bimla has gone above and beyond with her original design. We’re extremely proud of her for coming this far and thankful for helping us get here as well!”.

Going from Aaspura, Rajasthan to Frankfurt, Germany, Bimla Devi walked on stage to collect her 2018 German Design Award for her rug, Kamal, alongside Jaipur Rugs, Design Director, Kavi, who also collected a 2018 GDA Gold Award for her rug, Asthai.

Jaipur Rugs achieved this feat, competing with over 5,000 applicants from 56 countries, 40 + Gold award categories and 45 gold award winners joining brands such as Audi , Porsche, Samsung, Puma etc. Jaipur Rugs was honored to get this award along with some top contemporary home textile and design brands including Zollanvari AG, Switzerland, Walter Knoll AG & Co., Germany, Kymo GmBH, Germany and Gosia Warrink, Germany.

Bimla Devi’s rug Kamal had also been amongst the finalist at the prestigious Carpet Design Award 2017 at Domotex, Hannover (Germany) in the traditional rug category. The jury for the German Design Award 2018 had the following comments for the rug Kamal, “the hand-woven rug captivates its users with its unique, fascinating design” and for the Asthai rug they noted, “the Asthai rug features a fascinating interplay of colour and a fabric structure consisting of 200,000 asymmetrical knots per square metre. As the rug’s pattern is woven intuitively, each piece is unique. A genuine treasure made of the finest wool and bamboo silk that will add charm to any interior”

Kavita Chaudhary is an internationally acclaimed designer and has received many accolades for her designs including the German Design Award for three consecutive years in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Weaver turned designer, Bimla Devi has now entered a club reserved for some of the world’s best designers. Through sheer perseverance and talent, she stands as an inspiration for her village, the weaving community, and artisans worldwide. She is a weaver from Jaipur Rugs’ Artisan Originals collection where, for the very first time, weavers get to be designers of their own rugs. This collection is an experiment turned movement for artistic exploration, professional growth, and empowerment in multiple capacities. The project gives the opportunity for artisans to weave their own stories into one-off rugs using sustainable materials. Bimla Devi, created the award-winning rug by drawing inspiration from her day-to-day life. She started weaving before she was married to help sustain her family, but kept weaving long after, simply because she loved it. Weaving helped keep her spirits high as she went through tough times, and has now literally given her the opportunity to fly high.