Tufting is a rug-making technique that involves inserting strands of wool or acrylic fibers through a stretched canvas using a tufting gun. This method is valued for its fast production and the ability to create complex, customized designs. Artists and designers are increasingly using this practice to explore new creative approaches and experiment with materials, shapes, and textures.
Tufting workshop at Villa Arson
Recently, the Villa Arson National School of Art in Nice hosted an introductory tufting workshop led by Karima El Karmoudi, co-founder of LeTufting and a young artist who graduated from Villa Arson in 2020. The workshop introduced students to the tufting technique. Over three days, participants had the opportunity to try this craft and create their first tufted rug.
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Excerpt from the work of artist Karima El Karmoudi
How the workshop unfolded
After an introduction to the machine, the setup, and the safety rules, the workshops proceeded at each participant’s own pace. Participants were guided through every step of making their rug. They were able to discover all the subtleties of this technique, from transferring their design onto the stretched canvas to tufting, gluing, and shearing their creation.
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At the end of the workshop, they had acquired the skills needed to create their own works and use a tufting gun to develop design projects. Although limited by a 70 cm x 70 cm format, the size of the tufting frame, participants turned this constraint to their advantage to create original shapes. Some created geometric shapes that played with depth and different textures, using materials such as wool, acrylic, cotton, and merino wool. Others chose figurative designs or explored more complex shapes; one pair of students even created a 3D dumbbell.
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