On the occasion of the Milan Design Week 2022 the Alberto Levi Gallery is pleased to present MASTERWORKS, a selection of the most significant works of textile art among the current collections of Jan Kath, quite possibly the most famous carpet designer in the world. For over two decades, his rugs have represented the forefront of the contemporary carpet avant-garde and one of the spearheads of our gallery.

MASTERWORKS is divided into four distinct collections:

EAST represents a reinterpretation of the decorative motifs typical of the imperial carpets of the Ming Dynasty.  Here, the classic themes of the Dragon and the Lotus Flower are expressed through the characteristic language of Jan Kath, where patterns are partially concealed with brushstrokes of silk.In doing so here, the artist pays homage to the art of Kintsugi, or to the Japanese technique of restoring ceramics using gold or platinum, emphasising the recomposition of the object.

SPECTRUM is a collection dedicated to the myriad of colours obtained by the chromatic refraction of light.  Knot by knot these colours are translated by Tibetan master weavers into fields of wool and silk, forever capturing that particular moment of chromatic magic.  Starting from over forty shades, these are fused together to create a fascinating universe of colours.

ARTWORK makes us participate in the chromatic search for the perfect colour, a quest that distinguishes all the works of Jan Kath. It consists of superimposed layers of colours which appear as if they have been aged by the wear and tear of time. What results is an ensemble of organic shades of rare beauty, crystallised on the warp and weft through a skilful sequence of knots in wool, silk and nettle fibers, with a chromatic range of up to 24 colours.

HEITER bis WOLKIG is inspired by the decorations of the 16th and 17th centuries Flemish churches, discovered by Jan during one of his countless journeys. Here we are brought to our feet the cloudy sky in all its shades, rendered realistically by employing a gradation of 30 colours, and combining it with a very high knotting density. The resulting three-dimensional effect is the achievement of an important milestone in the evolutionary path of the contemporary carpet.