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C o-owner and third- generation carpet- maker Taz Ahmadi s a y s , " We ' r e grateful to be in this country and being able to do what we're doing, and still have an impact back home, in Afghanistan, in a positive way. I'm proud of my family for being committed to it. The sale of every one of these rugs affects the lives of these women in that country." For Round Top, Amadi Carpets focuses on three rug collections, all spun from natural hand-loomed wool, cotton, or silk: the architecturally inspired Nomad; Kyoto, influenced by the family's collection of antique, hand-embroidered kimonos from Northern Japan; and Fiji, a line that speaks to Polynesian idylls. Amadi also imports a collection of dramatic Belgian planters, which will grace the newly created outdoor area surrounding Halle 3, a civilized spot for a respite. In dialogue with Amadi Carpets, returning exhibitor Sabine Maes Art also addresses texture and materiality in her Natural Collection. The Belgian-born painter, who resides in the small village of Werchter, is also known for her hand- woven textiles. She incorporates elements from the earth in both canvases and wall works, including tree branches and rope in her paintings, and for her signature weavings, the presence of wool, leather, wood, flax, horsehair, cotton, pineapple fiber, and even ceramics. Also collectible are the artist's sheepskin rugs, handmade in her Belgian studio from various European sheep breeds. Canvases, textiles, and sheepskins all share a reverence for the land, reflecting a simple palette in shades of off white, bone, or raw earth. "I am mostly inspired by nature: the colors of every season, the bark of the trees, earth tones," the artist says. She continues, "I am out of time, beyond codes, beyond fashion trends and far from the rustlings of ordinary languages. Since I was a child, I was always drawn to nature and animals … ROUND TOP SHOW GUIDE ADVERTORIAL FOCUS: HALLE 3's (Continued from page 46) those who are imperfect and raw." And Maes has intuitively tuned into the pull of the Texas landscape in her work. She says, "Yes, the nature of Round Top is like my hometown in Belgium, but only much bigger and wider." The Halles, 1465 N. Texas Highway 237 Round Top, thehalles.com Fischer & Wieser's national hors d'oeuvre of Texas Amadi Carpets' Maui rug from the Fiji Collection Sabine Maes Natural Collection Sabine Maes' serene canvases return to Round Top. OFFERINGS 48