PHUNK + 1956 by Tai Ping Carpets
Singapore-based art and design collective launches a series of carpets inspired by “rule breakers and nonconformists”
Founded in 1956 to preserve the historical craft of handmade carpets, Hong Kong’s Tai Ping has grown into a global leader in quality carpeting. In recent years the renowned maker of woven Axminster, hand-tufted, machine-tufted, printed carpet and Axminster carpet tile designs introduced 1956 by Tai Ping—a branch to address their newfound presence in commercial and hospitality markets. And now, to keep the company culturally relevant, 1956 by Tai Ping has enlisted the help of Singapore-based PHUNK design and art studio. As the first creative collaboration in the “Design Collective” series, the Phunk-designed “Empire of Dreams” collection references its own early days of typography, digital design and animation.
LaSalle College of the Arts students Alvin Tan, Melvin Chee, Jackson Tan, and William Chan founded PHUNK in 1994 and has since earned a reputation for culturally relevant visual expressions across multiple mediums. This multidisciplinary stance can be seen in the carpet collection, which is reportedly inspired by “rule breakers and nonconformists.” The mixing of unconventional colors and textures with more traditional patterns stands to tell a series of stories, or “thematic journeys” as PHUNK describes it.
Currently debuting at the Hospitality Design Expo in Las Vegas, the “Empire of Dreams” collection of carpets by PHUNK for 1956 by Tai Ping will be available later this year. For a brief look inside the PHUNK studio see the slideshow and for more information see the collaborative video from 1956 by Tai Ping.
Images courtesy of PHUNK
