Stone Rug, 2018, Maayan Shahar

What

Tuff stone, gravel, sealer, string

Who

Maayan Shahar, b. 1988

Why

This work is composed of tuff stones and gravel in various natural tones, which were collected in gardens and squares on the margins of public parking lots throughout the country. The stones were classified, perforated, and finally beaded into an arrangement resembling a patterned rug. From a distance, the rug resembles a traditional woolen weave. Upon closer examination, it is surprisingly revealed to be made of a crude, cheap material – the byproduct of a volcanic eruption that mostly serves to decorate or cover the earth.
The Sisyphean and demanding process of beading the stones required numerous hours. The technique was refined until it fitted the characteristics of the stones, while endowing the rug with an elastic quality so that it can be rolled and unfurled despite its heavy weight. The chosen colors represent the natural stone palette, with sealer added to offer shine.
My work moves between two studios – one on Kibbutz Zeelim, where I live in the Negev, and the other in Tel Aviv. The tension between the periphery and the center, and between nature and culture, are central to my works, which give visual representation to these themes. In this work, I was interested in bringing together the image of the rug, which represents culture, with the stones found on the roadside, and to literally intertwine them.”