California Drought

California Drought

For the first time, Studio Liselot Cobelens researched an international area and translated it into a landscape tapestry: “California Drought.”

Drought

California is one of the states in the U.S. where the effects of climate change are being felt the most. The state has 10 distinct climate zones, nine national parks, 87 state parks and 80,000 farms. In fact, California's agricultural production is among the top ten worldwide! Droughts there alternate with extremely wet seasons. This usually leads to a severe shortage of melt water. The consequences are drought, devastating forest fires, loss of biodiversity and uneven distribution of fresh water. Yet it is often difficult to properly understand the stories behind these changes.

Liselot Cobelens traveled to California to speak to experts on the ground, including in Yosemite National Park and at the University of Berkeley. These experts experience and research the impact of climate change on a daily basis. During the conversations, she realized that the challenges in California have many similarities to those in the Netherlands. For the design of the carpet, she drew inspiration from the stories and experiences gathered. The white threads in the carpet symbolize the decreasing snowfall and melting glaciers in the California mountains. Knotted threads represent the rivers, while variations in elevation indicate the various landscape types in California, such as the Central Valley and mountain areas. This accentuates the contrast between the natural lines and those of human influence.