One of nature’s many captivations is a meandering river. It has its own character, now calm and full flowing, then icy and exuberant. It constantly changes its path and is always on the move to find its own unique way. This is Graafika -- a collection that like a winding river, rushes forward, meeting adventures on its way.
Yelena Rodina, Senior Field Designer at Durkan, tells us that she finds that the world around her always inspires her stunning collections. “Inspiring things are all around. You can find them everywhere: in somebody's cool installation or reflections in the puddle, in architecture or in street art. I think, if you are creative, inspiration can be found anywhere.” For this collection Yelena was inspired by rivers and the femininity of their movement. It was her idea to bring the stunning harshness of her brush strokes and mix it with the softness of flowing rivers to create a harmonious mixture of textures that are only amplified
Her creative process for Graafika began as a puzzle, that she needed to solve. “…You have one piece and then you try to find the other pieces to build the whole picture. I did a sketch of myself and broke it down to geometric lines. I impersonate women/myself with the river. And that was my first piece of the puzzle/ collection. I used cerulean blue shadows, vibrant edges, dramatic color juxtapositions, and rhyming forms to transform paintings into multi-dimensional textured carpet. Then I scattered some yellow paint drops so it looks like reflection of amber on the surface of water. But it was Durkan’s innovative technical capabilities that helped bring my ideas to life.”
Yelena was also inspired by Mohawk Group’s Waterways Project, a company-wide initiative to support river health and restoration by partnering with the Waterkeeper Alliance and Change the Course. “I designed Graafika to be innovative, a new way to showcase our beautiful rivers in an array of designs. And with this collection, you can invest in the protection of these life-giving waterways.”
As small streams grow into a big river, the Graafika collection combines all the technical capabilities of Durkan into one big collection of The Waterways Project. The collection is also available in Durkan’s Pattern Perfect, PDI carpet tile, and tufted broadloom which opens up the boundaries and endless possibilities for any hospitality project”