The traditional Maramures rugs of Victoria Berbecaru and Mircea Cantor's flying carpet: a preview presentation and conversation at RCINY


"Looking at an authentic Maramureş rug,” says Mircea Cantor, “resembles eating jelly from grandmother’s larder. It spreads both energy and visual force hidden within its ancient symbols, as well as forms crossing over time, generation by generation until the present day. Its themes and motives are inspired by the labor on the fields, by religious or agrarian feasts and by different customs and beliefs. Their composition and choice of colors offer them their strength and life: the lord-and-ladies, the flower, the fir, the gate, the rider, the bat, the reeler, the stag, the Maramureş round dance, the wolves’ teeth, the snake, the rake, the water wave. The wool is handcrafted, colored with natural dyes, made from St. John’s wort, onion peels, nut rinds, buckthorn, and plum tree bark.”

Join visual artist Mircea Cantor and traditional rug-maker Victoria Berbecaru for a conversation about their labor of love and beauty of Maramureş rugs. This conversation offers a preview of the exhibition "The traditional Maramures rugs of Victoria Berbecaru and Mircea Cantor's flying carpet" that La Maison Française, the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York, and the Embassy of Romania to the U.S., present starting March 28 at La Maison Francaise in Washington, D.C.

The exhibition was initiated and curated by the Romanian (Paris-based) artist Mircea Cantor, whose work is known for its subtle commentary on contemporary society, across diverse media. His approach is not that of an ethnographer or anthropologist. The object is not to document, but to emphasize the authenticity of this art, giving viewers an opportunity to enjoy the pieces, as they would any work of art. This show presents some of the most enchanting rugs made by Victoria Berbecaru over four decades, some of them still being used at the local church, along with two pieces by Mircea Cantor. Read more about the exhibition

Victoria Berbecaru, one of Maramureş’ most accomplished weavers, revived the tradition of weaving rugs in the 70’s when she arrived in Botiza, a village in Maramureş. Together with the old ladies from the village she started to record the old techniques of natural dyeing, reintroducing motifs that were in use in the recent past but were about to disappear due to the lack of interest and continuity through the younger generation. She maintained this tradition for over four decades by helping younger women see its profound cultural value and by teaching them the compositions and motifs.

Browse through the gallery for a glimpse into the exhibition and the rug-making process.

[Handwoven carpet by Victoria Berbecaru © Photo Mircea Cantor, 2010]