FROM CONCEPT TO CARPET - Aleksandra Bonikowska

ABOUT: The civilizations and cultures of Asia have long been a source of fascination and inspiration in my artistic practice. Exhibition „From concept to carpet” will take you on a long journey deep into a sun-baked land, where the ground is buffeted by desert winds. In this project, I explore the symbolic language of Eastern signs, patterns, and motifs, considering their visual and cultural significance and the possibilities of their reinterpretation within contemporary textile design. My interest in these forms stems from their rich symbolic character and their connection to history, spirituality, and cultural identity. Rather than treating traditional motifs as fixed or purely decorative elements, I approach them as a starting point for creating new visual narratives. Project is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage Republic of Poland. BIO: Aleksandra Bonikowska is a designer and artist, a graduate of the Władysław Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź, (Poland) where she currently works as an Assistant at the Institute of Design. Since 2022, she has coordinated the Erasmus+ Higher Education Programme for students of Product Design, Interior Architecture and Graphic Design, while also overseeing the process of completing Bachelor’s and Master’s degree projects. Her artistic practice is situated at the intersection of design, craft, and the visual arts, with a particular focus on textile design, carpets, and innovative objects for interior spaces. She works across both digital and traditional techniques, exploring the possibilities that emerge from bringing contemporary technologies into dialogue with established methods of making. History, cultural heritage, and the visual language of tradition are central to her artistic explorations. She frequently draws inspiration from cultural symbols, religious imagery, and folk traditions, transforming and reinterpreting them through a contemporary design perspective. Alongside her artistic practice, she is actively engaged in academic and cultural life. She regularly participates in exhibitions, workshops, and conferences, and collaborates with cultural institutions as well as partners involved in industrial production. Her work has been recognized through participation in prestigious Scholarship of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage Republic of Poland "Młoda Polska” and has been presented in solo and group exhibitions in Poland and abroad. Through her practice, she continues to explore the expressive and symbolic potential of design, seeking new ways of translating cultural heritage into contemporary forms.