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The way in which one decorates one’s living and working spaces is a reflection of one’s unique character. From the lamp fixtures to the cabinet handles to rugs, these details offer others a picture of who we are; they are an extension of ourselves. Ash Angeles, a Fine Arts graduate, supports individuality through her tufting company, which she calls Profanity.ph. Tufting, in case you didn’t know, is the process of punching a needle into a material (typically a cloth or carpet fiber) to make a loop. Ash, like other tufters, utilizes a machine known as a tufting gun. Ash’s interest in tufting was sparked in the midst of the pandemic when a friend shared her a Tiktok video showing someone making a rug of Shrek’s face. “She knew I was very into non-traditional mediums and joked that I should make her one. After a month of looking into the art form of tufting, I purchased a tufting gun,” shares Ash. It began out as a fun way to pass the time while being stuck at home because of the pandemic, but she has been shocked by the number of people she knows who have commissioned her to make bespoke rugs for them. Why Profanity.ph, anyway? She spent her entire life in a Catholic school, and it wasn’t until she finished that she was finally able to express herself freely by, for example, making bright and colorful rugs with words that your mother would likely find offensive.
When you visit the Instagram account of Profanity.ph, you’ll see a bunch of colorful commissioned rugs created by Ash, as well as her signature profane laden creations. It’s a backbreaking kind of artwork to make but Ash enjoys every bit of it. “It’s such a relaxing and satisfying thing to do and completing a piece, no matter how small or big, is incredibly fulfilling,” she says. Continue reading to learn more about Profanity.ph from Ash and to see how you can give tufting a try for yourself.
Hi Ash. How are you?
I’m good! Physically tired as of the moment because we just finished a 3-day pop-up booth at BGC. The venue we were at was outdoor so we had to brave the elements (aka Manila’s random heatwaves and rainfall that were mere minutes apart).
What made you start producing custom rugs?
Ever since college, I’ve been trying to find a creative outlet for myself and my ideas. I originally wanted to do graphic shirts. During the pandemic, the graphic tees industry became super saturated. As a non-competitive individual, I easily got discouraged. Fighting for the attention of a certain audience was not arousing for me at all.
Can you walk us through your basic process on doing rugs? Do you work in batches? What’s your minimum order before you can start working on a rug?
I do my commissions by monthly batches and put them all in one frame. I don’t necessarily have a minimum order per month, since most of my orders are always different from each other in regards to size and shape. As long as I’m able to fill up my frame, my gun is good to go.
How long does it take for you to finish a piece?
It really depends on the size and amount of details I have to work on in that specific batch. But on an average, I take 4-6 weeks to complete a whole batch. Though, I do accept rush orders (with an additional fee for the extra materials that will cost me to make it) if someone’s cramming for an event, a birthday, an anniversary, or a special occasion! As a fellow crammer, I gotchu’!
Is there any design that you would not do? Why?
Problematic or politically right themed designs are definitely out of the question. I take my advocacies and art to heart; I wouldn’t be able to stomach encouraging problematic behavior.
Do you have a favorite rug that you’ve done so far? What is it and why?
This is the hardest question so far because it’s constantly changing. Generally, I love working on mixed pile pieces and large sized pieces! Mixed piles are pieces that have an emboss-like take on the pieces and they really give me a chance to challenge myself. Carpets are also something I truly enjoy doing because I get to focus on the details of a piece and execute them better than when they’re smaller scaled.
I currently have a collaboration piece I’m working on, though I’m not able to share it yet, I think this will definitely end up being one of my favorites.
What’s the most challenging rug that you’ve done?
The most challenging one so far would definitely by the Miles Morales Spiderverse carpet. It was the most satisfying one to finish, but the trimming process was a literal pain in the butt.
Are you planning to sell ready-made rugs?
I already am! Though there are not a whole lot of designs yet because I’m currently focusing on my collaboration pieces I have lined up, but I’m definitely planning on releasing more of my original designs soon.
How do they order from you?
For on-hand items, they can order through my Lazada shop! They can also DM me on Instagram for same-day delivery of on-hand pieces if they’re in a rush. For custom and pre-order pieces, they can also DM me on Instagram so I can give them a quote of the design and size they’d like. All pieces that are originally designed by me can be found on my Instagram highlights under ON-HAND and PRE-ORDER 😗
Get a chance to try tufting for yourself by attending Profanity.ph’s Tufting Workshop to be held at the VistaMall Dasmariñas on October 14 – 15, 2023, from 4pm to 8pm. You can still register for the workshop until October 12.
Denise J. Mallabo 