The Azerbaijani tradition of weaving carpets is one of the most ancient arts and crafts of the country and dates as far back as the 2nd millennium BC. Because of their high aesthetic value, these vibrant carpets have been used in Azerbaijan to cover floors, decorate interior walls, sofas, chairs, beds, and even tables.

Faig Ahmed is an internationally recognized artist from Baku, Azerbaijan who is known for turning these classic rugs into impressive contemporary works of art. "His works reimagine ancient crafts and create new visual boundaries by deconstructing traditions and stereotypes," reads the description on Faig Ahmed's Facebook page. Usually, his mesmerizing carpets begin as a classic pattern, but then turn into an obstacle or glitch. Some rugs get turned into pixelated versions of themselves, some melt into a multicolor swirl, and some get remade into unique-looking mandalas. The list goes on. And no matter what this artist decides to create, each of his pieces turns out absolutely stunning.

Bored Panda invites you to take a look at some of the most impressive pieces created out of traditional Azerbaijani carpets by the artist Faig Ahmed.

More info: faigahmed.com

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Image credits: Faig Ahmed

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Image credits: Faig Ahmed

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Image credits: Faig Ahmed

According to The Guardian, the artist sees rugs as “something very stable. Carpet is the result of ages. Even 2,500 years ago there were similar patterns, similar techniques to today. The center and the borders are like a social structure, giving the idea of everything we know.”

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Image credits: Faig Ahmed

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Image credits: Faig Ahmed

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Image credits: Faig Ahmed

"Ahmed is among a new wave of contemporary artists exploring crafts in innovative ways to produce conceptual works that break away from conventions associated with the craft by bringing it into a global contemporary art context. Ahmed explores fresh new visual forms that examine tradition and challenge our perception of traditions through iconic cultural objects," reads the description on the artist's Facebook page.

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Image credits: Faig Ahmed

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Image credits: Faig Ahmed

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Image credits: Faig Ahmed

"The artist experiments with traditional materials and colors such as the rug weavings in Azerbaijan or Indian embroidery, yet he explains that 'he is not interested in merging the past and present,' but is interested 'in the past because it’s the most stable conception of our lives.' Among his art historical inspirations, Ahmed lists Hieronymus Bosch and Otto Dix; among his contemporaries, he admires James Turrell and Anish Kapoor," reads the description on Faig Ahmed's Facebook page.