CARPET DIEM 2025, an ART & DESIGN event in Paris.
Espace Commines - PARIS during Art Basel and Design Miami.
CARPET DIEM, an ART & DESIGN event in Paris.
The third edition of “Carpet Diem” will be held in Paris, 23-26 October 2025, at Espace Commines, during Art Basel and Design Miami.
Melina Finkelstein will exhibit two new felt rug designs under her eponymous solo brand, Melina Finkelstein Rug Co.Labs: Carmen and Girlfriend. Both designs are derivatives of original paintings by Finkelstein.
This hymn to contemporary textile creation is open to professionals and the general public.
40 rugs and tapestries will be presented in the form of a labyrinth designed by scenographer Hervé Sauvage.
Independent artists as well as established brands from 12 different countries will reveal their current textile creations, combining various techniques, materials and textures.
Certain exhibiting artists were present to interact with visitors.
A book bringing together all works will be printed for the occasion.
Girlfriend Tapestry
Fangirl 26” x 26” oil on painting, 2019
The Feltmaking Process
The felt method that I have worked with since 2002 is based on the ancient tradition practiced by Central Asian nomadic tribes from Turkey to Iran since the Neolithic Age. Felted rugs were the first wool rugs ever made by humans. The process is technically simple and predates the loom by about two thousand years. The design is drawn on a ‘mother cloth’ that is spread across a large steel table. Historically, this work was done on the floor but we prefer using large tables. I had an incredible opportunity to train our artisan partners during a residency in their Kathmandu workshop in April 2024. I was able to transfer my knowledge that I gained in Iran and Turkey to Nepalese felt makers. Many layers of wool are arranged on the cloth according to color. Another thin cloth is placed over the layers of wool. Hot soapy water is applied and the wool is rubbed gently at first until the wool shrinks enough to connect. Several techniques and tools are used to beat the wool and shape the pattern until it is flat and the felt is very tight. The final step is blocking and drying.
OPEN CALL
The Melina Finkelstein Gallery, located at 6020 Adeline street Oakland, CA, invites all painters and textile-based artists and curators to submit proposals for exhibitions in 2026. All exhibiting artists will have the opportunity to collaborate on a rug collection. Interested? Fill out the form below! Thank you artists! This project is part of a mission to build an artist-centered rug company. Learn more about Melina’s vision.
Melina Finkelstein Archive
90’s to present
My personal statement regarding my work:
I use color to express how I truly feel about myself and my life. Making art is a highly emotional experience. It is a calling and a fulfillment of my destiny. It is my true passion and my constant companion. This is the voice that I use to talk to my past and manifest my future.
When I was four years old my mother told me that I would be an artist and that I would live in Paris. Everything I am and everything I do is for her. All of the flowers in my paintings are for her and to honor the spirit of creativity that I inherited. Color is the medium that channels the connection between my subconscious and conscious minds and to the collective source of all creativity.
My process: I start with a graphite grid- whether I’m starting a painting or a tapestry I always start with a grid drawn with a pencil. The grid is my foundation. It is the structure underneath the matrix that calls me in to explore the cosmos and dimensions of time, space, and reality. I invite the energy of chance by selecting ratios within the grid and drawing lines based on those choices. The ratio is then repeated until the grid is fully activated. When I start painting in the shapes I use the color to find new patterns that begin emerging. When I am not in the mood to build a pattern on a grid I paint flowers or colorful piles of shapes that look like playground structures or dream machines.
A list of subjects and themes both past and present: bright and pastel colors, club culture, neon lights, modernist and Art Deco shapes and forms, modern architecture, vintage fabric, shiny and metallic textures, abundance, death, obsession, joy, innocence, pattern, fashion, flowers, stripes, grids
Thank you for your support. -Melina Finkelstein May 19th, 2022