British-born American artist Kour Pour is best known for his monumental yet intricate carpet paintings, which he creates via a labor-intensive, multi-step process. First, the artist scans an image of a rug and burns it onto a silkscreen. He then uses a broom to work on the underpainting, giving it a textured appearance akin to a textile. Following this, Pour silkscreens the design to the panel and paints every detail by hand before, finally, he uses an electric sander on the painted surface, exposing layers of the underpainting throughout. His completed pieces bear a strong resemblance to faded, well-worn carpets, harkening back to memories of his childhood in England that he notes in his artist statement: “I remember my father's rug shop, and how he would hand-dye sections of carpets that had faded away, in order to bring them back to their original colors... Through making these paintings I am constantly learning more about my background and the rich mix of culture that surrounds me and the carpets.”
