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Kvadrat Encircle Fabric
by Karin An Rijlaarsdam
for Kvadrat
Encircle is a sculptural upholstery textile that explores the poetic irregularities of nature and traditional craftsmanship. Designed by Karin An Rijlaarsdam and inspired by the landscapes and artisanal heritage of Grand-Bassam, Côte d’Ivoire, it features a tactile bouclé surface where raised, irregular circles emerge with a leaf-like individuality.
Woven from Trevira CS in the Netherlands, Encircle unites a naturally textured bouclé yarn with a plain-dyed background yarn. This interplay creates subtle transparencies and a sense of depth, lending the textile a soft, rounded expression with pronounced tactility. Both visually rich and comfortably understated, Encircle balances complexity with simplicity.
The color palette draws from West African environments and cultural motifs — lush greens, deep blues, earthy neutrals, and vibrant textile tones. Some colorways contrast the background and bouclé for added dimensionality, while others blend more seamlessly into near-unicolored surfaces.
As part of Karin An Rijlaarsdam’s broader exploration into sustainable making, Encircle is informed by research into natural finishes and traditional braiding techniques — valuing not just aesthetic heritage, but also the social and communal processes behind craft.
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Karin An Rijlaarsdam
Netherlands
Karin An Rijlaarsdam is a Dutch designer whose multidisciplinary practice spans interior, textile, product, and colour design. A graduate of the Academy of Arts in Utrecht, she draws creative energy from her extensive global travels, often translating her experiences into tactile and nuanced material expressions.
Driven by a deep fascination with texture, Rijlaarsdam explores the sensory dimension of design. Whether developing a soft, three-dimensional textile with a handmade sensibility or crafting a lighting fixture with an ultra-matte, natural finish, she believes texture is what gives an object its character. As she puts it, “The texture defines the skin that brings the object alive — it is generous and represents its uniqueness and personality.”
She is the founder and Creative Director of CLOUD-9 design, a studio based in Côte d’Ivoire that is dedicated to creating sustainable designs with a positive environmental and social impact. Rijlaarsdam collaborates with leading international brands such as Apple, Beats by Dre, Cappellini, and Kvadrat, bringing her refined material sensitivity and commitment to sustainability to projects around the world.
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