identity’s highlights from Dubai Design Week 2020

Seeds by Nuhyar

The Seeds collection by Nuhyar was exhibited as part of the UAE Designer Exhibition, which saw the repurposing of a naturally abundant material in the region – one that often goes unnoticed – and into a flexible and biodegradable material with a renewed function and decorative language.

Inspired by the local natural context, and achieved through a process of collecting, splitting, filtering and naturally treating white popinac (Leucaena leucocephala) dried pods and leaves, the project aims to create a closed-cycle in the production of the plant-based material. The seeds that were collected were later used to grow more trees.

The treated pods and leaves are stitched to form a plant-based skin, layered to create surfaces that resemble falcons’ feathers, or mixed and rammed with earth to create monolithic objects. The treatment of the white popinac pods allowed for the creation of a new material called Leucaena, which could potentially serve as a plant-based alternative to leather.

“The natural patina inherent in the pods is representative of the time preserved within them, which makes Leucaena an incredible material that is texturally-specific to its context,” says designer Nuhyar Zein.