Rainlight Studio and Volver have collaborated to create a rug collection that combines the best of British design with Norse mythology. Yorgo Lykoria creative director for Rainlight Studio and Ksenia Stanishevski the creative lead of Norwegian rug studio Volver have translated the visionary and bold designs into 4 stunning designs that are masterfully crafted using delicate natural materials.
Yggdrasil is an ancient Norse legend which tells of the Tree of the World that reaches to the heavens and embraces the whole of creation. It has three strong roots that reach down to the underworld of immortality, where three norns (mythical women who control all destiny & fate) water the tree from the well of fate. These three norns are sisters and between them they weave a thread of human destiny. Their names are Urd (past), Verdane (present) and Skuld (future).
The collection challenges the limits of art, design and craft with the original sketches featuring intricate highly detailed abstract compositions that are inspired by London graffities as well as Nordic folklore. They are organic, wild and dark. These qualities were translated and modified to create exquisite luxury rugs with richness of textures, elevations and colours.
“Creating Yggdrasil was a creative process that united art with craft and industrial design. Together Rainlight and Volver were looking to unite London Street culture with ancient Norse Mythology!” – Yorgo Lykouria, creative principal and founder of Rainlight Studio
The collection consists of four designs Yggdrasil, Urd, Verdande and Skuld. The rugs are hand tufted with an exceptional level of detail, equal to the craft applied in haute couture.
Yggdrasil – the design depicts the branches of The Tree of the World spreading out from the centre creating a kaleidoscopic effect of the ever-changing creation
Urd (past) – a web of dark and light memories, connections, feelings, mysterious and beautiful
Verdande (present) – a flowing grid of bigger and smaller elements, some light, some dark, some in colour and some saturated
Skuld (future) gives an illusion of a structure, but where each new moment is full with abundant flow and blossoms
Volver is a Norwegian design studio that produces handmade premium rugs in collaboration with Norwegian designers and international guests on Nordic themes. Volver is known for merging the artistic Western expressions with the textile handcraft of the East to produce a range of beautiful handmade rugs in natural materials such as wool, tensel and cotton.
Yggdrasil and the collaboration with Rainlight represent Volver’s first entry into the UK market and the first initiative as a cross-cultural design collaboration.