Dezeen Magazine

Alf Bärbel Wit painting designs for his Moooi rugs

Moooi launches carpets designed by eight-year-old

Dutch design brand Moooi has launched a pair of rugs based on artworks by Alf Bärbel Wit Peters, aged eight.

Featuring two designs by the young artist, the LinesLinesLines carpets join a collection that also includes pieces by internationally renowned designers such as Cristina Celestino, Kiki van Eijk, Studio Job and Neri&Hu.

Alf Bärbel Wit lying on a LinesLinesLines rug
Moooi has launched two rugs designed by Alf Bärbel Wit Peters

Moooi Carpets, which operates as a spin-off from the main Moooi brand, said that Peters' age had no bearing on the decision to collaborate with him.

"We love the energetic art of Alf and, for us, there are no boundaries in creativity nor the age of a talented designer," it said.

"The details, lines, strokes, choices, shapes and rhythms in his art echo the freedom of Basquiat, Appel, Kline, Miró, Haring and Kandinsky, bearing a unique style."

LinesLinesLines rugs by Alf Bärbel Wit for Moooi
The rugs are called Everything Now and Blinding Lights

Peters' works feature bold compositions of colourful, abstract patterns and motifs. He creates these works with very little pre-planning and, according to Moooi Carpets, likes the work to grow spontaneously with no clear top or bottom.

"I sometimes wish that the whole world was made out of lines only," the designer said.

The collaboration with Moooi is not Bärbel Wit's first professional project.

As well as some private commissions, he also created a six-metre-long mural for the office of Media company Wieden + Kennedy in Amsterdam.

LinesLinesLines rugs by Alf Bärbel Wit for Moooi
The designs feature bold compositions of colourful, abstract patterns and motifs

The two LinesLinesLines carpets are named Everything Now and Blinding Lights, after jazz songs that Peters enjoys listening to while creating his artworks.

"Hopefully my work will inspire people to dream, to draw themselves, and make happy mistakes," he added.

Close-up detail of LinesLinesLines rugs by Alf Bärbel Wit for Moooi
Peters creates these works intuitively

Peters is the son of Amsterdam-based artist and designer Antoine Peters. His father told Dezeen that Moooi had been following his son's work for a while with a view towards collaborating.

He said that the young artist had created a whole collection of designs for the Dutch brand, with more releases set to follow very soon. "Not bad for an eight-year-old, right?" he said.

Alf Bärbel Wit drawing a design for his Moooi rugs
Moooi said Peters' work is comparable with Keith Haring or Jean-Michel Basquiat

Other recent launches from Moooi include the IDEO-designed Pallana suspension lamp, made up of adjustable ring lights, and the rope-like Knitty Chair designed by Nika Zupanc.