Hayko Fine Rugs and Tapestries • Woolway Studios

Hayk Oltaci (Hayko) is a textile conservator, rug restoration specialist, entrepreneur, and educator with more than 40 years of experience in museum-quality rug restoration, textile conservation, handmade rugs, natural dyeing, and traditional weaving.

Born in Istanbul, Türkiye, Hayk began his career as an apprentice in rug restoration before continuing his professional training in Strasbourg, France, from 1979 to 1988. In 1988, he founded Hayko Fine Rugs & Tapestries in New York City, where for more than three decades he worked with private collectors, interior designers, antique dealers, galleries, and institutions. His work became known for its meticulous craftsmanship, ethical conservation practices, and respect for the history and integrity of each textile.

In 2020, Hayk returned to his ancestral homeland of Armenia to establish Woolway Studios in Argavand, just outside Yerevan. Woolway Studios is a center dedicated to preserving and promoting Armenian textile heritage through traditional handweaving, natural dyeing, rug restoration, artisan education, and cultural exchange. The studio also welcomes visitors through its guesthouse and immersive workshops, offering hands-on experiences with living craft traditions.

Throughout his career, Hayk has believed that craftsmanship is more than technical skill—it is a responsibility to preserve cultural heritage, transmit knowledge, and honor the generations of artisans who came before us. His work bridges traditional techniques with contemporary needs while supporting sustainable craftsmanship and the education of future textile artisans.

His philosophy is simple:

"The universe flows like a river; surrender to its current."

Today, Hayk continues to conserve historically significant textiles, advise collectors, museums, designers, and institutions, while expanding Woolway Studios as an internationally recognized center for traditional craftsmanship, textile conservation, and cultural heritage.