Lucia Eames
Lucia Eames
A celebration of Lucia Eames' artistic vision through the profoundly human medium of textiles.
nanimarquina and Eames Office, in collaboration with Form Portfolios, present a rug collection based on original works by American artist Lucia Eames, the only daughter of designer Charles Eames and beloved stepdaughter of his life and work partner, Ray Eames. The collection translates Lucia's distinctive visual language into a woven format, marking a significant expansion of her artistic legacy through material, craftsmanship, and contemporary design.
Drawing on seven works created by Lucia, the collection reflects recurring motifs present in her joyful work, such as butterflies, birds, suns, tendrils, and abstract organic forms. Much of Lucia's deeply Californian practice was rooted in drawing and exploration on paper, making the transition to textiles feel natural and intuitive. The rugs offer a tactile and architectural medium through which Lucia's two-dimensional compositions can be experienced spatially and over time.
Translating Lucia's works into rugs required careful selection and interpretation. Each design was paired by nanimarquina's creative director, Nani Marquina, with the technique and material best suited to its expressive qualities, resulting in a wide variety of combinations within the collection. Only natural fibers are used, including hand-spun Afghan wool, hand-braided jute, and New Zealand wool, combined with artisanal techniques such as hand-knotting, hand-stitching, hand-tufting, hand-loom weaving, and embroidery. Several new technical approaches were developed specifically for the Lucia Eames collection, including sculptural tufting with varying pile heights.
“From the moment I discovered Lucia’s creative universe, I felt a deep connection and the sense that Lucia and I would have shared many affinities had we met,” shares Nani Marquina, creative director of nanimarquina.
“Lucia’s work embodies the value of expressing the emotions we find in nature: elements that speak of happiness, make us feel alive, and connect us deeply with nature. Without her inspiration, I might not have dared to be so direct in my designs, and it is precisely this courage—focusing on essential and emotional elements—that I deeply admire in her work.”
