1 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Installation view
$POA | ENQUIRE
2 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Installation view
$POA | ENQUIRE
3 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Meander (light) & Dragon Pool
Rugs, 2021
$POA | ENQUIRE
4 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
XXV Thousand & Old Friend
Rugs, 2021
$POA | ENQUIRE
5 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Fyrst
Rug, 2021
Old Japanese silk, dyed in varying shades of madder red, woven in weft faced weave. Dark red details in old Japanese cotton, woven in weft faced and soumak weaves. Old Japanese silk and cotton tassels selfbound.
Warp of undyed cotton.
880 x 900mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
6 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Fyrst
Rug, 2021
Old Japanese silk, dyed in varying shades of madder red, woven in weft faced weave. Dark red details in old Japanese cotton, woven in weft faced and soumak weaves. Old Japanese silk and cotton tassels selfbound.
Warp of undyed cotton.
880 x 900mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
7 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Fyrst
Rug, 2021
Old Japanese silk, dyed in varying shades of madder red, woven in weft faced weave. Dark red details in old Japanese cotton, woven in weft faced and soumak weaves. Old Japanese silk and cotton tassels selfbound.
Warp of undyed cotton.
880 x 900mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
8 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Fyrst
Rug, 2021
Old Japanese silk, dyed in varying shades of madder red, woven in weft faced weave. Dark red details in old Japanese cotton, woven in weft faced and soumak weaves. Old Japanese silk and cotton tassels selfbound.
Warp of undyed cotton.
880 x 900mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
9 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Old Friend
Rug, 2021
Weft of black jute, banana fibre, alpaca and linen woven in weft faced weave. Natural jute stripes and small caramel alpaca detailing.
Soumak details in black and undyed linen. Tassels in black linen bound with undyed linen
Warp of undyed cotton.
Old brass bell.
950 x 1020mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
10 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Old Friend
Rug, 2021
Weft of black jute, banana fibre, alpaca and linen woven in weft faced weave. Natural jute stripes and small caramel alpaca detailing.
Soumak details in black and undyed linen. Tassels in black linen bound with undyed linen
Warp of undyed cotton.
Old brass bell.
950 x 1020mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
11 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Old Friend
Rug, 2021
Weft of black jute, banana fibre, alpaca and linen woven in weft faced weave. Natural jute stripes and small caramel alpaca detailing.
Soumak details in black and undyed linen. Tassels in black linen bound with undyed linen
Warp of undyed cotton.
Old brass bell.
950 x 1020mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
12 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Old Friend
Rug, 2021
Weft of black jute, banana fibre, alpaca and linen woven in weft faced weave. Natural jute stripes and small caramel alpaca detailing.
Soumak details in black and undyed linen. Tassels in black linen bound with undyed linen
Warp of undyed cotton.
Old brass bell.
950 x 1020mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
13 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Old Friend
Rug, 2021
Weft of black jute, banana fibre, alpaca and linen woven in weft faced weave. Natural jute stripes and small caramel alpaca detailing.
Soumak details in black and undyed linen. Tassels in black linen bound with undyed linen
Warp of undyed cotton.
Old brass bell.
950 x 1020mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
14 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
XXV Thousand
Rug, 2021
Weft of undyed jute, banana fibre, linen, hemp and old Japanese red cotton, woven in weft faced weave with detailing in soumak. Old Japanese silk tassels bound in silk, hemp and linen.
Warp of black and undyed cotton.
Old brass bell.
1040 x 990mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
15 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
XXV Thousand
Rug, 2021
Weft of undyed jute, banana fibre, linen, hemp and old Japanese red cotton, woven in weft faced weave with detailing in soumak. Old Japanese silk tassels bound in silk, hemp and linen.
Warp of black and undyed cotton.
Old brass bell.
1040 x 990mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
16 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
XXV Thousand
Rug, 2021
Weft of undyed jute, banana fibre, linen, hemp and old Japanese red cotton, woven in weft faced weave with detailing in soumak. Old Japanese silk tassels bound in silk, hemp and linen.
Warp of black and undyed cotton.
Old brass bell.
1040 x 990mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
17 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
XXV Thousand
Rug, 2021
Weft of undyed jute, banana fibre, linen, hemp and old Japanese red cotton, woven in weft faced weave with detailing in soumak. Old Japanese silk tassels bound in silk, hemp and linen.
Warp of black and undyed cotton.
Old brass bell.
1040 x 990mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
18 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
XXV Thousand
Rug, 2021
Weft of undyed jute, banana fibre, linen, hemp and old Japanese red cotton, woven in weft faced weave with detailing in soumak. Old Japanese silk tassels bound in silk, hemp and linen.
Warp of black and undyed cotton.
Old brass bell.
1040 x 990mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
19 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
XXV Thousand
Rug, 2021
Weft of undyed jute, banana fibre, linen, hemp and old Japanese red cotton, woven in weft faced weave with detailing in soumak. Old Japanese silk tassels bound in silk, hemp and linen.
Warp of black and undyed cotton.
Old brass bell.
1040 x 990mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
20 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Dragon Pool
Rug, 2021
Indigo linen and jute weft woven in weft faced weave. Details in black and indigo linen woven in soumak. Old silver beads. Warp of natural jute and cotton
1040 x 1040mm (approx)
$7500 | ENQUIRE
21 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Dragon Pool
Rug, 2021
Indigo linen and jute weft woven in weft faced weave. Details in black and indigo linen woven in soumak. Old silver beads. Warp of natural jute and cotton
1040 x 1040mm (approx)
$7500 | ENQUIRE
22 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Dragon Pool
Rug, 2021
Indigo linen and jute weft woven in weft faced weave. Details in black and indigo linen woven in soumak. Old silver beads. Warp of natural jute and cotton
1040 x 1040mm (approx)
$7500 | ENQUIRE
23 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Dragon Pool
Rug, 2021
Indigo linen and jute weft woven in weft faced weave. Details in black and indigo linen woven in soumak. Old silver beads. Warp of natural jute and cotton
1040 x 1040mm (approx)
$7500 | ENQUIRE
24 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Meander (light)
Rug, 2021
Undyed and indigo linen weft woven in weft faced weave with details in soumak.
Whipped tassels in undyed and indigo linen.
Warp of natural jute.
980 x 960mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
25 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Meander (light)
Rug, 2021
Undyed and indigo linen weft woven in weft faced weave with details in soumak.
Whipped tassels in undyed and indigo linen.
Warp of natural jute.
980 x 960mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
26 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Meander (light)
Rug, 2021
Undyed and indigo linen weft woven in weft faced weave with details in soumak.
Whipped tassels in undyed and indigo linen.
Warp of natural jute.
980 x 960mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
27 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Meander (light)
Rug, 2021
Undyed and indigo linen weft woven in weft faced weave with details in soumak.
Whipped tassels in undyed and indigo linen.
Warp of natural jute.
980 x 960mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
28 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Meander (dark)
Rug, 2021
Black and indigo linen and old Japanese cotton weft woven in weft faced weave. Details in black linen woven in soumak.
Tassel whipped in black and indigo linen and old Japanese cotton.
Warp of natural jute and black cotton.
1050 x 1030mm. Tassels 670mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
29 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Meander (dark)
Rug, 2021
Black and indigo linen and old Japanese cotton weft woven in weft faced weave. Details in black linen woven in soumak.
Tassel whipped in black and indigo linen and old Japanese cotton.
Warp of natural jute and black cotton.
1050 x 1030mm. Tassels 670mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
30 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Meander (dark)
Rug, 2021
Black and indigo linen and old Japanese cotton weft woven in weft faced weave. Details in black linen woven in soumak.
Tassel whipped in black and indigo linen and old Japanese cotton.
Warp of natural jute and black cotton.
1050 x 1030mm. Tassels 670mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
31 / 31
Christopher Duncan
More than Castles
Meander (dark)
Rug, 2021
Black and indigo linen and old Japanese cotton weft woven in weft faced weave. Details in black linen woven in soumak.
Tassel whipped in black and indigo linen and old Japanese cotton.
Warp of natural jute and black cotton.
1050 x 1030mm. Tassels 670mm
$7500 | ENQUIRE
More than Castles
Christopher Duncan
16 Oct – 20 Nov 2021
“Before I began this project I had always held a deep appreciation for rugs. They are the heaviest of all textiles, robust, deep with age, rich with hand work, and mystery. As opposed to existing in the space around our bodies they lie or hang on structures, over cold walls, floors or thoroughfares, they take up space, protect it, cover it in a story. Rugs are essentially the clothing of architecture. And at points throughout history have cost more than the structures that they clothe. More than castles. Which is rather topsy-turvy because in our world today textiles are so commonplace they’re close to worthless and land so rare that most cannot afford it.
What I had always adored were the details of the weaving process manifest in the textile itself. I loved seeing old flatweaves that have obviously been made by a weaver on the move. Their lifestyle forcing them to pack up the temporary loom and shift, upon re-tensioning the warp the details never quite sit where they were before, designs are cut short, fluctuations occur in the otherwise flat textile. The lines that characterise the weft faced weaves are disrupted and then continue on stretching forward through the textile. These lines mesmerise me as they meander up the work, like rivers finding their way over land, stories spreading through generations. I could stare at them for hours tracing the patterns with my fingers, with my eyes. They say something to me, not in a conceptual language form, but something more innate. A forgotten tongue”.
Christopher Duncan is a contemporary craft practitioner specialising in hand woven textiles. Largely self-taught, Duncan began weaving in 2012 after a career in the fashion industry, teaching himself through gifted looms and materials and gradually creating his own library of weaving knowledge and techniques. Duncan approaches his practice as an anchor for a life lived with gentleness and meaning, mindful of the political histories and ecological impact of the textile industry globally. His own practice stems from traditional techniques with which he combines non-repetitive lines at vertical and horizontal intersections. Inlaid motifs are iterated across the textile, breaking up the rigid forms typical to the cross-sectional nature of the loom. Duncan has exhibited throughout New Zealand and Japan and his work is held in the collections of Auckland Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira. In 2018, Duncan was the recipient of Dame Doreen’s Gift, an award established by The Blumhardt Foundation in 2016 to support the development of exceptional emerging makers in the field of craft.
> View More than Castles Exhibition Catalogue