Paul Hepworth is a textile artist based in Istanbul, a partner with Osman Balbaros in the design businessQuraq. The inspiration for his art lies in the endless variety of fabrics, patterns, and colors of the Middle East. Having spent more than half of his life in the region, living in Afghanistan, Syria and Turkey and traveling widely throughout the area, he has been deeply involved as a designer, collector and conservator in the study of textiles produced in this culture. So it was a natural progression to incorporate these influences in his art. The goal has been to take older textiles and transform them into unique objects that can be used in a modern home and yet refer strongly to the background from which they came. Exploring geometric patterns, he mixes hand-woven and hand-embroidered textiles to create new harmonies and textural contrasts that express a strong contemporary aesthetic

The items produced by the design business Quraq mix vintage textiles from all over the Middle East, particularly Uzbekistan, Anatolia, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. Because of the value place on these textiles by the people who made them, they have been cherished even when they were no longer in a condition to be used. Stained and damaged but still beautiful, these hand-embroidered and hand-woven textiles are pieced and reconfigured to make one-of-a-kind objects; pillows, bedcovers, wall-hangings and garments. Each one is unique. Each one reflects the variety, color and vibrancy of Middle Eastern culture.