PENADES

Following its debut at Matter & Shape earlier this year, the Uprooted Rug enters the cc-tapis Special Projects collection as a made-to-order design.

What do olive wood and wool have in common?

For centuries, olive cultivation and sheep farming have coexisted across the Mediterranean landscape. Sheep traditionally grazed among olive groves, helping control vegetation and reduce the risk of wildfires. This coexistence reveals a historical connection between two seemingly unrelated materials.

Despite their different origins, olive wood and wool share a similar contradiction: both belong to industries that prioritise economic efficiency and large-scale production over the respect of local identity, territory and biodiversity considerations.

Developed in collaboration with cc-tapis, Uprooted Rug explores an alternative approach to textile production, placing existing resources and their qualities at the centre of the design process. Made from deadstock and undyed wool, the reversible rug translates the grain and irregularities of olive tree roots into a textile surface using contemporary manufacturing technologies.

Uprooted Rug reconnects two elements historically linked through the Mediterranean landscape, reinterpreting their connection through design. In doing so, the project questions how current manufacturing systems might evolve to establish a more respectful relationship with the resources, traditions and territories they depend on.

For more information visit cc-tapis.com