Carpet weaving is a tradition that has been observed in the territory today known as Azerbaijan for quite literally thousands of years. For one to take such an ancient and revered tradition and subverts its aesthetics entirely would surely be sacrilege, yet
Faig Ahmed manages to somehow balance the preservation of traditions with the daring introduction of futuristic, and often surreal, designs. It is for these works that Ahmed is recognised as one of the nation's most important cultural exports in recent times. We caught up with him to talk about the philosophy behind his carpets, as well as his experimentation with different media, and the various historical influences that have shaped his native land.