The Carpet Project: Alexandra Copeland

Hand-knotted Woollen Carpets

designed by Alexandra Copeland

Twenty years ago, when the Taliban first took over Afghanistan, I was asked by Afghan friends to design carpets to be woven by weavers displaced by the fighting. The project has been disrupted repeatedly but I am now able to employ 18 weavers who are living in the north of Afghanistan.

When I first visited Afghanistan in 1972, the country had a King, who had reigned peacefully for 40 years. My husband Leigh and I were able to travel freely, visiting old market towns and villages as well as the Valley of Bamiyan, home of the giant Buddha, later destroyed by the Taliban. My carpet designs incorporate motifs that will be meaningful for the weavers – pomegranates, lilies, poppies, grapevine leaves. For the weavers, the project gives them not only an income, but social contact in a society that has become closed to women.

The carpets are knotted in pure wool on wooden looms, using the methods traditional to Afghanistan. The prices of the carpets have been kept as low as possible so that we can provide continuous employment for the weavers.

 - Alexandra Copeland

MARS is proud to present Melbourne-based artist Alexandra Copeland’s designs of handwoven carpet textiles crafted by women in Afghanistan, exhibited from October 2^nd – November 8th, 2025. Created in limited amounts by a team of weavers, the textiles collate Alexandra’s intricate floral designs with the tactile and meditative process of weaving, bringing together tradition and contemporary processes. 

Since 2003, Alexandra Copeland has worked closely with a team of women in Afghanistan to bring her vibrant designs to life.

Her designs use traditional Afghan weaving methods, knotted in pure wool on wooden looms, and incorporate meaningful motifs for the weavers – pomegranates, lilies, poppies and grapevine leaves. 

Her exhibition at MARS will present a selection of these beautiful handmade works, bringing together contemporary design and traditional weaving practices, travelling continents from the weavers in Afghanistan to Melbourne, Australia. 

Alexandra Copeland and her husband Leigh first visited Afghanistan in 1972, she was gripped by the rich traditions of Afghan textiles and the weavers, generally women, who devoted their time to this art. When the Taliban first seized Kabul in 1996, a new reality faced Afghan women and girls, who were stripped of their rights. The towns, villages and markets Alexandra had once visited, were now destroyed, and the weavers, among thousands of Afghan citizens, now displaced. In 2003, Alexandra was approached by Haji Nabi Azimi to design carpets that could be woven by displaced Afghan weavers. For the weavers, this project provides both an income and social contact that has been prohibited under the Taliban’s regime.

Alexandra’s works have been exhibited globally as well as throughout Australia. Her works are found in collections across Australia, from the National Gallery of Victoria, National Gallery of Australia, Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery, Hobart, Shepparton Art Gallery, Artbank and Queensland Art Gallery.