His Ozo chair – which was showcased at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City – is designed as an homage to the Igbo identity; its community and traditions. At the top of the chair is a crown-like arc which represents the ritual of receiving the chieftain title within the Igbo community: a fate that awaits Igwebuike himself, just like his father and grandfather before him. In fact, the word ‘ozo’ refers to this rank in the traditional hierarchical system of the Igbo people of Nigeria, who are then seen as custodians of traditions, and influential figures within the community. 

“The Ozo chair is a love letter and an embrace of my own fragility, of what I am about to face,” the designer confesses. “It is a crafted interpretation and [demonstrates] how I can personally resonate with this moment.” The chair is made from premium African mahogany, its curved form complemented by a black, circular stainless steel base: a modern contrast to the wooden seat. Igwebuike describes its grandiose simplicity as “restrained opulence”. Much like all Igwebuike’s works, the Ozo chair utilises locally sourced materials and is crafted by local artisans with whom the designer often collaborates, from painters and metal workers to carpenters. 

“In traditional Igbo design, the use of wood is significant due to the abundance of trees in the region,” Igwebuike says. “Wood is a readily available resource and was used extensively in the construction of buildings, furniture and other household items. It is also symbolic of the connection between the people and the natural world,” he continues, “and [of] the importance of sustainable practices in preserving the environment. The Igbo people have a long history of using natural resources in responsible and sustainable ways, and this is reflected in the use of wood in their traditional designs.” The Ndali chair is another piece that is crafted using African wood, and can be easily assembled and taken apart, making it adaptable for any living space. The backrest showcases traditional motifs inspired by the designer’s ancestral home in Umeri, Nigeria. 

For Igwebuike, design is about more than just creating visually appealing designs. “I view design as a means to make a positive impact on the world, particularly within the African community. Through my work, I aspire to inspire and empower the next generation of African designers and creatives, while showcasing the incredible talent and potential that exists within Africa,” he says. “I believe that by showcasing the beauty, depth and innovation inherent in our heritage, I can reshape perceptions, inspire unity, and foster a global appreciation for the artistic legacy of Africa.”  

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The architects were chosen through an international competition with jury comprising of key stakeholders and specialists in architecture, landscape and museology,  and chaired by Dr Khaled Azzam, the architect of AlUla’s Journey Through Time Masterplan.

We are excited to announce the appointed architects to these two significant museums – the first of 15 cultural assets being developed as part of AlUla’s Journey Through Time Masterplan,” says  Dr Azzam. “This Masterplan will guide the reinvigoration of AlUla, establishing a new cultural legacy including the implementation of a circular economy expected to create 38,000 new jobs.”

Both  architects have already set a prominent mark on the architectural field. Khan is known for his radical approach to architecture that explores various histories and futures, while focusing on material exploration and the social context of his projects. He has been awarded a MBE for his services to architecture and is currently working on the renewal of the Barbican Centre and the new London Museum, and has already made his mark on the region with his involvement with Expo 2020 Dubai.

Ghotmeh’s practice focuses on historical research and looks at how the urban landscape can exist in symbiosis with nature, engaging memory and the senses. She is currently designing the 2023 Serpentine Pavilion. For Alula, Ghotmeh has been appointed to design the contemporary art museum, which will feature a series of garden pavilions.

AlUla’s contemporary art museum will feature both regional and global contemporary art with the region at its heart, with core works by artists hailing from regions adjoining the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean in dialogue with their contemporaries from across the world. It will also include a series of commissioned works.

Although images have not yet been revealed, the museum is said to comprise an adjoining series of artist-designed gardens- designed as an archipelago of pavilion galleries –  that connect to the landscape, integrated into the AlUla oasis, and set among vegetable gardens, palm groves, mountain ranges and an ancient settlement. It will explore sensitive environmental design and function as a catalyst for environmental renewal and regeneration of the oasis.

“The architecture of the contemporary art museum in AlUla immerses visitors in a creative journey from the desert expanse to the lush cultural oasis of AlUla, interweaving the natural environment, agriculture and art to reveal the heart of contemporary culture,” Ghotmeh describes.  “Through a series of garden pavilions, the museum presents a constant interplay between art and nature, capturing the essence of this unique place. The galleries offer surprising and anchored perspectives on the many facets of AlUla, from the microclimates of the oasis to the expanse of the desert, evoking a deep sense of attachment to the land and its heritage.”

Khan, on the other hand, will be designing the museum of the Incense Road, which he describes as more a public space than a traditional museum – the first museum of its kind to be dedicated to this millenia-old network of major land and sea trading routes. Celebrating AlUla’s cultural legacy as a place of exchange at the confluence of civilisations. Narratives will include spotlighting the discoveries of ongoing excavations, highlighting the active nature of AlUla’s archaeological sites and the cultural importance of the Incense Road.

The museum of the Incense Road is being developed in dialogue with AlUla’s ancient heritage – including Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site – and its host village, AlJadidah. It will be an extension of the urban fabric that sits towards the oasis edge, looking out on a vista where Dadan and Hegra – once vibrant cities that thrived as a result of the Incense Road – are located. It will be developed through extensive local and international collaboration with specialists across fields including academia and museology.

“AlUla resonated with me deeply as did the local community members I met,” Khan recalls. “The design takes the form of a public space, not a museum within walls, situated in AlJadidah village with galleries and spaces for sensory experiences and learning. The mountains are a constant background, whose sand dunes reach down to greet the edges of the museum, while stepped terraces of gardens act as a new interface between the village and the oasis.

“I am excited about how the museum of the Incense Road can be brought into the collective memory of the world, and become a transformative asset for the local community,” he adds.

Both museums aim to offer an entry point into AlUla’s extensive cultural offering and is planned to be developed with a socially responsible approach to the preservation, interpretation, meaningful community engagement and presentation of AlUla’s cultural inheritance. It is also said to be considerate on reducing environmental impact with regards to conservation, controlled temperature, humidity and lighting, and will work with a network of cultural leaders at an institutional, thematic and discipline level in the spirit of reciprocal exchange.

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Last month, the UNESCO World Heritage site opened to the public for the first time, after a restoration campaign that lasted over 10 years. “It is a very large site, [covering] almost 300,000 square metres, and built entirely of earthen materials: mud bricks, mud layers, and stone masonry with mud mortar,” says Paola Matilde Pesaresi, director of Heritage Management, Diriyah Gate Development Authority. 

At-Turaif is of great significance for many Saudis and was established by Mohammed bin Saud in 1727. The palace was completed in 1766, shortly after bin Saud’s death. An Ottoman assault in 1818 destroyed half of the complex, which is to this day still in a state of ruin.  

The restoration campaign has now set a strong precedent for architectural heritage conservation in Saudi Arabia. “We use the criterion of ‘minimum interventions’ to preserve the integrity and authenticity of the site,” explains Pesaresi. What’s more, restorers worked by adapting traditional techniques that are still in use in the area today. “At-Turaif became an open-air laboratory to define the techniques to repair and preserve its earthen architecture,” she adds. 

While visitors can walk around the palace and its adjacent mosques and religious schools, the scars of the Ottoman wars will remain visible. “We are trying to carefully conserve the area of the site that has been untouched since 1818, by consolidating the ruins without any reconstruction,” says Pesaresi. “This area represents an essential piece of the history of At-Turaif as a witness to the heroic defence of the city during the time of the first Saudi state.” 

Adobe structures like At-Turaif play an important role in conversations around sustainability in architecture. While the material wears more easily than stone and is more susceptible to earthquakes, it allows for natural insulation and makes use of a local and easily accessible material. 

Pesaresi points to the many lessons that contemporary architects can learn from adobe buildings such as At-Turaif. “Traditional Najdi architecture is the expression of a society that has learned over the centuries to harmonise its response to a very harsh climate with cultural and societal requirements,” she explains. “Around the world, we see increasing effort from architects to respond to similar needs, both in terms of climate that is changing quickly and dramatically, and in terms of accommodating social and cultural values typical of a specific region and country.” 

Large, thin walls create narrow winding roads that provide shade from the heat while reflecting the sunlight. The top edges of the fort and palace walls are lined with triangular windows – typical of the Najdi style – which allow for better air circulation as well as protection from outside attacks. 

The restoration of At-Turaif is part of a wider development of the historic town of Diriyah. “The style of architecture and building techniques [at At-Turaif] are being adopted by Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) throughout the development of Diriyah – including some 180 million mudbricks currently being made by hand – hence ensuring its significance lives on,” explains Pesaresi.  

Today, Diriyah is being transformed into one of Saudi’s main tourism destinations. The Burjaili Terrace, adjacent to At-Turaif, opened on the same week with Michelin-starred restaurants and Takya, a fine-dining experience for Saudi food. 

For Pesaresi and her team, At-Turaif can serve as a living heritage that continually evolves over time. “It’s not simply a copy-paste of the past,” she says, “but a regeneration of the Najdi style and techniques to bring it into contemporary life.”  

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Mammadov’s solo presentation with London-based GAZELL.iO, titled ‘Singularity in Heritage’, was shown during Art Dubai Digital, the fair’s first experience of showcasing a body of digital artworks under the curation of Chris Fussner. Offering a glimpse into the artist’s ongoing research project and autonomous AI art – which was first shown at the Venice Contemporary Biennale in 2019 and the Moscow International Art Biennale – it features a series of video works that are the result of an AI algorithm designed by the artist to understand and find similarities between carpet designs and traditional ornamentation across the Middle East. After processing over 150,000 archival images of carpets, rugs, kilims, miniature paintings and ornamental patterns found across museums and libraries worldwide, a neural network computing system brings together this amalgamation of heritage through a digital lens, enabling the viewer to encounter a visual history of traditional carpet designs – making them the first-ever carpets to be designed in the metaverse.

Historically, carpets, miniature paintings and decorative oriental patterns have played a significant role in forming Azerbaijan’s heritage and aesthetics. And while the Middle East is home to a wide range of carpet traditions, many of them share similarities such as geometric patterns, floral motifs and calligraphic shapes.

“Perhaps with machine intelligence, we can redefine the concept of repetition,” Mammadov suggests. “The installation’s visual component imitates traditional Azerbaijani patterns. As a result, viewers see how AI builds new alternatives. These alternatives have a synthetic nature that has nothing to do with the history of authentic ornament patterns. AI imitates and fakes a traditional learning process [that is] usually handed down from generation to generation. 

“By accessing the data of authentic ornament images, AI becomes an independent master that can invent new ideas to update culture,” he continues. “Besides symbols, AI generates new concepts and meanings. It blurs the boundaries between [what is] real and [what is] fake. These actions further prove cultural development, as non-human intelligence replaces traditional craft tools.”

Mammadov likens his creative process to “painting with data”, and although the crafting process is executed entirely through digital means, tangible heritage is vital to his work. “The main goal that I want to achieve through my art is to remind visitors of the value of cultural heritage,” he concludes.

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The neighbourhood is now part of Dubai’s Historic District, alongside Deira and Bur Dubai, and is currently undergoing major conservation and renovation works that will ultimately result in it becoming a prominent cultural destination.

Part of this ambitious project are three newly completed cultural buildings designed by Dubai-based X Architects – the Shindagha Expo 2020 Welcome Pavilion, Story of the Creek Museum and the Perfume House – comprising both newly built structures and renovated buildings.

The architects studied the heritage and context of Al Shindagha to inform their designs, which looked to revive and restore the area’s identity while allowing for contemporary interventions. Due to Al Shindagha’s layered history, the architects focused on creating buildings that embody a coherent synthesis between the old and new, while studying its distinct materiality and textures such as the Areesh (palm leaf) and teak wood, which played a vital role in the building of wooden dhows that were present in the area. Traditionally, the district’s urban fabric expressed a balanced fusion of natural and man-made elements, which the architects aimed to maintain within the projects.

“To create a harmonious integration between the old and new we had to study the context and history of the place and maintain elements such as the ceiling materiality, textured wall finishes and wooden doors,” the architects explain. “We tried to bring in natural light and, [in the Museum and Perfume House,] provide innovative ceiling designs inspired by Arabic patterns and geometries.”

The Shindagha Expo 2020 Welcome Pavilion is a newly built structure that acts as a meeting point and information centre for visitors to Dubai’s Historic District. The building is set between traditional mud houses and is designed as an open ‘plaza’ with a teakwood roof. The flexibility of its shifting walls – which are made of glass window panels – allows for the space to either be contained or to flow outdoors.

The Story of the Creek Museum, on the other hand, is a renovation of an existing building and serves as an introduction to the history of Dubai, telling the story of the city’s growth and development over the years.

“The Story of the Creek Museum is situated in a historic house which we wanted to honour and enhance. It includes an exhibition that gives an overview of Dubai’s history, society, and [the] leadership of the Al Maktoum Family,” the architects add. The museum also sheds light on the importance of Dubai Creek and its role as a generator of trade, wealth and success for the emirate.

The building features materials such as wooden doors and windows (which have been preserved) and a newly designed perforated steel and glass roof structure – elements that one will also find in the design of the Perfume House.

Historically, the Perfume House was the residence of Sheikha Sheikha Bint Saeed Al Maktoum, renowned perfumer and aunt of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, current Emir of Dubai. Several of the items displayed in the Perfume House are from Sheikha Sheikha Bint Saeed Al Maktoum’s personal collection, the architects say.

By exploring Emirati culture through scent and the heritage that stems from its fabrication and use, the Perfume House allows visitors to explore a variety of scents that are unique to Dubai via ‘perfume stations’, offering a distinct perspective into the intangible heritage of the city.

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What does the building take from its context? How does its organic form relate to its surroundings and what inspired this? Mikkel Schlesinger (MS): The Musallah sits within the Qasr Al Hosn masterplan, which is designed to establish the Fort and the Cultural Foundation as the main visual anchors on the site.

The project reconnects Abu Dhabi’s significant heritage site surrounding the Qasr Al Hosn Fort with the modern metropolis and its inhabitants by introducing a distinctive locally-rooted urban landscape. Combining architectural interpretations of Abu Dhabi’s coastal desert landscape with exclusively indigenous plants, the design links these natural landscapes with that of the city to emphasise the significance of the relations between Emirati heritage, nature and urban life.

Arthi Balasubramanian (AB): The landscape around the Musallah is an architectural interpretation of the city’s sandbars, mangroves and the salt flats’ distinctive mud crack patterns. These shapes communicate the transition between the natural sand surrounding the Fort and the urban pavement around the Cultural Foundation.

The desert landscape changes from horizontal planes to slanting surfaces and gradually grows into actual buildings, culminating with the Musallah. It comprises a series of small, interconnected buildings that form a cave-like structure, and are pushed halfway into the park’s large central water feature.

The Musallah’s height is deliberately kept below that of the Fort, but by partially placing the building in the water, the reflection visually doubles its size to highlight its position within the masterplan.

How does the building propose a contemporary language while staying connected to the past? MS: The site is intrinsically, deeply rooted in history. The Qasr Al Hosn fort is the birthplace of Abu Dhabi and the city’s oldest building. The task of the transformational masterplan is to reinstate the Fort as the cultural heart of the city, and to create a setting and infrastructure that allows this heart to flourish while at the same time celebrating modernisation and urbanisation within a city in rapid growth.

AB: There are also many other references throughout the Musallah that point to the traditions and culture of the city – such as the sky lights with small circular openings punctuating the ceilings of the otherwise closed volumes. These circular holes let in daylight and are combined with suspended pendants. Together, they appear as abstract star formations that evoke associations to faith, as well as to the Bedouins’ traditional star-gazing customs for navigation.

What are the main materials that you have chosen for the building? AB: All surfaces in the project are made from sand in different forms: natural sand around the Fort; concrete and natural lime stone in park and new buildings.

The colour of the local Al-Bateen sand was chosen for all the landscape and building elements on the site. The Musallah volumes are cast as pigmented, in-situ concrete with a board-marked finish. This is applied to all the vertical surfaces of the new elements on the site to provide a subtle visual distinction and definition.

How does the interior relate to the architecture? MS: The interior of the Musallah is an extension of the architecture in many ways. Walking from the open landscape of the park along the narrow passages between the ‘rocks’, the noise and bustling life of the city slowly fades away and visitors enter the cave-like entrance halls, where one can rest and talk before prayer. This experience and atmosphere refers to the Cave of Hira, where Prophet Muhammed received his first revelation. The experience of passing the glass bridges over the water between the building volumes symbolically purifies the mind when moving through the light-filled passages from one area to the next. The prayer halls are orientated in the direction of the Qibla, while a concrete relief with inscriptions appears on one of the rock volumes, visible through the windows and concealed from the outside world.

How can the project be used as a public space in addition to being a place of worship? AB: The Musallah sits within a cultural park that is in the heart of a busy and vibrant city block. The park itself is public, but the setting of the Musallah, in the relatively quieter north-east corner of the site, by the water, creates a natural division and subtle privacy barrier between the prayer halls and the public cultural park to ensure calm and secluded spaces for the worshippers without the need of fences or other visually intruding barriers.

Furthermore, water is used as a symbol of spiritual purification, flowing around and in between the interior functions. The water reflects light onto the façades of the geometric volumes and creates an oscillating appearance that indicates a place of worship and illustrates water’s role as a cleansing element in the ritual of prayer.

Why was it important for the project to serve a wider community? MS: The Qasr Al Hosn site was designed to be a public park for the people of the community, and for Abu Dhabi as a whole, to reclaim their history. As it contains both the Fort – which is a symbol of the UAE’s maritime and desert heritage – and the Cultural Foundation – which represents modernity – the two buildings on either side of the site create a contrast between the Abu Dhabi of today with that of its past. So, the masterplan creates a public destination that on the one hand enables the current and future generations to identify with their origins, and on the other hand gives residents and visitors a unique opportunity to learn about and engage with Emirati history, culture and heritage.

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Carlo Massoud, Cities

Produced in Beirut, Lebanon
Marble (Carrara, rouge de France, Guatemala, Mero Marquina)
2018

Cities presents modern-day relics that trigger memories and associations of structures from across the globe. Created using different types of marble, each object can be decoded to reveal the likes of Casa Malaparte in Capri, The Louvre in Abu Dhabi or the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Each piece has been made by hand using tools such as a saw, a lathe and a carver. Each object begins as a cube and is later carved like a sculpture into its completed form and finally polished using sandpaper.

Kawther Alsaffar, Dual Bowls

Produced in Kuwait
Copper, brass, zinc, aluminium
2016-present

The Dual Bowls have been created as affordable art pieces as well as functional objects fabricated with unique sand-casting methods developed with Alwafi Foundry in Kuwait, celebrating a community of craftsmen and designers while giving power back to those who deserve it the most. The sand-casting moulds in Alwafi Foundry use sand from the neighbouring Nile River, requiring only the addition of water. While this method of using sand for casting was originally employed by craftsmen to save on cost, its natural utility makes it sustainable and easy to recycle. It also reveals the beauty of the casting process, and of the raw imperfections that are usually masked and removed in more modern casting methods. The act of pouring multiple metals into these moulds pushes the limits of the casting techniques and allows the Dual Bowls to be easily produced in a variety of metals and finishes.

T Sakhi, Zamãn, Sculpting Time

Photo by Tarek Haddad

Produced in Cairo, Egypt
Indian Green, Red Travertine, Galala, Nero Marquina, brass, suede
2018

Zamãn, Sculpting Time by Lebanese duo T Sakhi was crafted in the Egyptian quarries of Marmonil Group in Cairo. The watch stand has been directly hand-carved into the mineral by Egyptian craftsmen to create a negative space for storage and display. The making of the collection is inspired by Skara Brae, where humans used to carve into the rock for shelter and to store their belongings. Similar to the discovery of precious gemstones while carving into rock, the collectable work of mechanical art – the watch – becomes a timeless and contemplative artefact. The brass holders were produced in Lebanon to emphasise the strong duality of both cultures and expertise in craftsmanship.

Nada Debs and Salim Azzam, Patterns in Nature

Produced in Beirut, Lebanon
Walnut wood, olive wood, French oak
2019

Patterns in Nature follows Nada Debs’ exploration of new craft techniques: this time in collaboration with fashion designer Salim Azzam. Both brands cultivate ecological and ornithological awareness, using nature as the ultimate source of inspiration to create this handcrafted furniture collection that marries flora and fauna in a show of poetic synergy of birds, botany and narratives about nature.

The collection uses a craft technique called Contour Inlay, contouring the traditional marquetry technique with tin inlay. The sharp contours of the different marquetry veneers offers the illusion of a hand-drawn illustration.

bahraini—danish, Atlas Stools

Produced in Bahrain
Teak wood
2017-present

The Atlas Stool series consists of fourteen stools, seven of which are individual. When spread out on the floor, they appear to be dancing as a result of their different appearances and positions. The stools are made from teak wood, which has long been used for boat making in Bahrain, and due to its stability and strength. The wood was cut in an industrial CNC milling workshop in Salmabad, Bahrain to make the stool, and later finished by artisans in a carpentry and boat-making workshop in Muharraq, Bahrain.

Rula Yaghmour, Kutleh, design series_02, vases

Produced in Jordan
Stone and marble
2019/2018

Kutleh (meaning ‘block’ or ‘mass’ in Arabic) is a project that repurposes the surplus produced from cladding tiles used in everyday construction projects in an attempt to create blocks out of the discarded material. The curvilinear forms of this collection bend and twist, revealing the underlying beauty and the concealed layers of stone and marble. Architect Rula Yaghmour’s appreciation and understanding of materiality has ushered in a fruitful collaboration with stone and marble fabricators A.W. Yasin & Sons Co; a family business who have been in the stone and marble industry since the early 1960s. Kutleh marries technology and craftsmanship, forming new masses from offcuts of old slabs and tiles.

Tarek Elkassouf, Flame, Contained

Produced in Lebanon
Carrara marble, basal, copper leafing
2020

Flame, Contained offers a series of ashtrays, candle holders, a censor burner and a ritual tray – all of which embody the idea of life as fire, offering objects that contain the flame while giving it new life and vitality. Tarek Elkassouf invites us to question our relationship with the powerful force of nature that burns both externally and internally. The collection is also an echo of the fires that raged across the Australian landscape earlier this year, where the designer was based. In Flame, Contained, fire meets ice in a paradox of materials that are designed to fuse and blend from one collectible work to the next, where lava stone, born from volcanic heat and pressure, is soothed by the cooling touch of Carrara marble.

Faissal El-Malak

Spool; A dancer, a leaf and a spool of thread
Produced in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Glazed ceramic
2019

Inspired by a playful approach to Palestinian motifs and the functional aspect of Palestinian embroidery, Faissal El-Malak’s collection observes its narrative, decorative and talismanic properties while exploring the structural qualities of patching together various components. Spool is born out of an exploration of new materials, handcrafted in clay by Xeina Malki. If you look closely at these pieces, the final shape is what exists in the negative space outside the motif. This negative space is, in itself, inspired by historical vessels from archaeological sites around the Levant.

Aljoud Lootah , Mudeem collection

Produced in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Camel leather, metal, suede
2019

The Mudeem collection is a set of hand-crafted storage boxes inspired by the traditional Mandoos wooden chests that have been reinterpreted to celebrate the deep-rooted values of Emirati culture and heritage. Mandoos are wooden chests decorated with brass nails that were commonly used in the past to hold a person’s most valuable and precious possessions such as documents, jewellery, clothes, money and a bride’s dowry. With Mudeem, Aljoud Lootah examines innovations in material manipulation while giving new life to tradition. It explores the endless possibilities of camel leather and highlights the delicacy and fineness of the material. Each detail is made by hand by pleating, layering, airbrushing and forging while other parts of the leather are folded, woven and cut out, resulting in a permanent three-dimensional surface.

Meshary AlNassar

The 401 Collection
Produced in Puglia, Italy
Ocean blue Travertine
2019

The 401 Collection is a group of collectable stone objects made from prehistorical ocean Travertine and embedded LED technology that function as three decorative lighting sculptures. Kuwaiti designer Meshary AlNassar was inspired by tactile product design and childhood memories and his interaction with nature at a young age. These memories involved nostalgic moments that recall the five senses in everything from trees, courtyards and days under the sun. The collection was made in a small workshop in Puglia, combining traditional sculpting methods and technology.

david/nicolas for Carpenters Workshop Gallery, supernova

Produced in Italy
Travertine, rose wood, palm wood, bronze, glass, stainless steel
2018

The death of a star results in either a black hole or a supernova. david/nicolas’ supernova collection looks at this death as a transformation that outshines everything around it, evolving into a new life. It is a reminder of Beirut, a city that has been reborn, again and again. The dialogue between past and present, contrasting materials and forms, and transformation and regeneration in Supernova is also a reflection of the designer’s homes; an amalgamation of influences from the Middle East and Europe. The collection includes two series: The Constellation and Monocle. It was created by 20 different artisans, using materials such as travertine and metal that interact with bronze and wood.

Thomas Trad, Eva

Produced in Beirut, Lebanon
Solid oak, rattan, brass, stainless steel
2017

Eva is a partition made of French oak, gold tainted stainless steel and rattan. The play of mirrors and rattan give a sense of blurred privacy with see-through openings that offer a sneak-peek of what’s behind the screens while the mirrored side reflect the inside. Eva can be used as a room divider as well as a changing space. It embodies a beautiful marriage between heavy machinery and skilled handcraft with the assembling of the wood and rattan.

Ammar Kalo, Carabus Collection

Produced in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Copper, hardwood, tinted mirrors, camel leather
2019

The Carabus collection is the result of conflating concepts of traditional craft with processes of advanced robotic fabrication. The aim was to address issues like tacit material knowledge and craftsmanship through a contemporary lens. Carabus embraces the imperfections of the process and highlights both machine and handcraft using robotically formed copper as well as camel leather and walnut wood. Forming tool marks are celebrated throughout the objects and recall the qualities of handcrafted objects. Even though the copper shells were made using a robot, the forms and textures maintain an organic softness so as not to take over the project. Most of the materials in the collection were handcrafted and hand-assembled including the formed copper pieces and leatherwork that was created by a leather craftsman using traditional leather-making techniques.  The wood components were also hand shaped and finished.

Dima Srouji, Hollow Forms

Produced in Palestine
Handblown glass
2017

Hollow Forms is a glass intervention that reactivates the dying industry of glassblowing in the region and sheds light on the history of the craft in Palestine. The collections are inspired by the Palestinian landscape and a sense of place with a contemporary twist. Hollow Forms was created in close collaboration with expert glassblowers, the Twam family, from the outskirts of Jerusalem.

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Courtesy of Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council.

One such organisation is the Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council in Sharjah, which was born out of the Bidwa Social Development Programme aiming to empower artisans economically and socially through crafts, while also helping revive and sustain the indigenous heritage of the UAE. Irthi, which is an affiliate of the NAMA Women Advancement Establishment, led by HE Reem BinKaram, who is its director, currently works with 77 local female artisans from Dibba Al Hisn, who are engaged in Emirati crafts as well as Pakistani, Jordanian and Palestinian embroidery techniques. Irthi has now evolved into a platform that helps foster dialogue between local artisans and regional and international designers through various programmes such as Crafts Dialogue, curated by Samer Yamani, founder of Barcelona-based Creative Dialogue and curator Farah Nasri, as well as Design Labs, both of which were founded on the creative potential of collaboration, featuring contributions from Pakistan, Japan, the US, the UK, Spain, Italy and Palestine, alongside local designers.

Tashkeel is another key institution championing craftsmanship in the region, training young designers and artists and connecting them to key craft practitioners in the region. Established in Dubai in 2008 by HH Lateefa bint Maktoum, Tashkeel has contributed to the growth of contemporary art and design practices rooted in the UAE.

The following interviews shed light on some of the developments, programmes and initiatives that are empowering local artisans and engaging a community of young designers from the region and abroad.

Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council

How has Irthi engaged and empowered female artisans in the emirate? HE Reem BinKaram: This was easier said than done as every artisan practiced the traditional crafts at home, solely for personal needs. To get them to work together as a team in a professional setting where deadlines and stringent quality guidelines were the norm, meant having to tiptoe around several deeply entrenched social and cultural norms. Artisans initially rejected the idea of monetary returns for their work as we faced several rejections from their families making their mothers and grandmothers ‘work to earn a living’. It was the community focus goal of the Bidwa centre, which finally won them over. Taking a craft form rooted in the local cultural identity and imbuing it with fresh design aesthetics through commercial collaborations and regional artisan exchange programmes were both uplifting and empowering. The artisans recognised the value in protecting their vulnerable cultural heritage, and began to take pride in their craft. They saw the need to strengthen their techniques and pass on their skills to a new generation of artisans to secure its future.

Linear Bucket Bag by Jennifer Zurick made from camel leather.

How can artisanal know-how and craft be passed down to the new generation that encourages its generational continuity? The beauty of an artisanal product is that even without being denoted a ‘luxury’ product, its intrinsic value never depreciates as it represents the essence of our collective heritage.

To take forward this knowledge to the new generation, and to ensure the sector’s long-term potential and sustainability, Irthi launched the Hirfati Youth Programme to train and engage with the next generation of designers and artists through a mix of workshops, activities and competitions that combine traditional and contemporary crafts.

In addition, under the Council’s Design Labs project – that runs along the same lines as art residencies, it facilitates the exchange of crafts, design, and knowledge between international or regional designers, and offers opportunities for young Emirati women to learn multiple crafts in a series of short, intensive courses. Apart from traditional Emirati crafts of Talli and Safeefah, our young generation can also learn the techniques of glass blowing, sand-casting, gold-casting, and metalwork, which we find adds a more interesting dimension to young creatives.

How has COVID-19 impacted the crafts economy and the artisans and their work? The shifts in consumer demand and spending patterns that have emerged with the outbreak of COVID-19 certainly have had a significant impact on the demand and interest in artisanal and sustainable crafts, both in the region and globally. This slowdown is likely only in the short term, and as we begin to fully adapt to the new reality, we are confident that several functional artisanal items and products will be integrated once again into the daily lives of people.

A time of crisis always places greater value on craft-based production as it represents the ethos of our collective heritage and offers a window of hope amidst the uncertainty. As the year draws to a close, we are beginning to see signs of resurgence, and are confident that the industry will emerge stronger.

Can you tell me more about the debut collection at the 2019 London Design Fair? Why was this important and what did it achieve in terms of promoting Emirati crafts? Irthi’s debut at the London Design Fair realised its vision as it presented its artisans with their highest-profile international platform to date.

This debut product line was the combined result of its two pioneering projects — Design Labs and Crafts Dialogue, both of which are thoroughly international in outlook, and featured 78 luxury products across 12 exclusive collections, focusing on home decor, furniture, jewellery, perfume bottles, handbags and more.

The collection showcased how the handmaking heritage of the UAE could earn its rightful place in the global market as the world took notice of the incredible talent of our artisans. The use of materials and techniques from different parts of the world emphasised the collection’s global outlook, earning the appreciation of a wider audience. For the Bidwa artisans who once practised their craft within the confines of their homes, the debut at London Design Fair threw open the doors for access into new sustainable markets and has empowered them both economically and socially.

Hajar Chair by Architecture and Other Things for Irthi made from sand casting.

How does working with crafts also tap into sustainable practices, such as using local materials or aiding the local economy? Even as Irthi works towards linking traditional crafts to the modern luxury and design markets, or infusing crafts with new functionality to fit contemporary aesthetics and needs, it has never strayed from its goal of incorporating sustainable and ethical practices in all aspects of its training, production and collaborative ventures.

The Council utilises a circular business model within our operations by driving greater resource productivity, eliminating waste and inefficiency, sourcing sustainable and environmentally friendly material for all products, and ensuring that ethical and fair practice standards are adhered to in all programmes initiated by the Council.

Additionally, all profits earned from commercial collaborations are reinvested back into empowering artisans in the UAE and the MENASEA regions through the Bidwa Programme, as well as the Council’s other cultural and commercial initiatives.

Tashkeel

How does Tashkeel aim to support and elevate craft and craftsmanship in the region? Lisa Ball-Lechgar: It is important that today’s art and design practitioners understand the rich cultural practices that form the UAE’s identity. Through the exhibitions and training provided at Tashkeel, we connect art and design professionals with key craft practices and craft practitioners in the UAE. We also support creative practitioners who wish to integrate elements of craft practices into contemporary design and visual art.

What has the Tanween programme achieved to date in accomplishing this? So far, Tashkeel has invested in the training of 22 UAE-based designers which has led to the 39 designs inspired by, designed and produced in the UAE. Out of these, 31 limited edition furniture and lighting pieces have gone on to become part of The Tanween Collection range.

Local craftswomen demonstrating the Safeefah technique

In October, we will initiate the call for the seventh edition of the Tanween design programme. The one-year professional development programme for emerging designers delves deep into exploring the connections between craft and contemporary design and examining the challenges and opportunities related to design aesthetics informed by place.

In short, Tashkeel hopes that, through the Tanween design programme, the UAE cultural identity and the crafts that form the roots of it are carried through into contemporary practice.

What do you think is the best way to preserve the tradition of crafts within a society? In a world where machine industrialisation and the digital explosion have led to so many practices becoming redundant, we are not only losing the manual skill and dexterity but also the memories, connections and the identity of who we are that is buried in the crafts and the objects created. We need to re-establish the importance of making and the tactile qualities it possesses.

Yes, there is the need to preserve but there is also the need to ensure ongoing growth and development. It is not only a question of survival. The challenge also lies in enabling craft practices to thrive. The two must go hand-in-hand.

Nurturing a new generation of makers is important for the growth of crafts, with adequate training, support and role models to encourage those who possess a desire to learn. A model rooted within an environmental context and consisting of formal and informal training, apprenticeships and social engagement seems to have been adopted by many countries around the world with crafts practices that are at risk of becoming critically endangered.

Katta by Yara Habib for Tashkeel’s Tanween programme.

Do you think there is enough support in the region to help propel traditional crafts into the future? There are several important initiatives that are addressing the needs of the crafts sector in a strategic manner. From an economic perspective, organisations like Al Ghadeer and Sougha are creating stable income streams for Emirati craftswomen based in rural areas; while the likes of Irthi and Tashkeel are nurturing the next generation to integrate craft in contemporary design.

I firmly believe that the future of traditional crafts depends on the sustainability movement and how well individuals, organisations and governments alike can connect age-old practices to the environmental agenda of the twenty-first century.

Once, someone would spend his/her entire life mastering their craft. Well, this still stands true today. A wider variety of educational pathways are needed with more intensive courses in craft practices being offered. Such training would offer meaningful opportunities to allow existing craft practitioners to generate much-needed income from teaching and provide a new cohort of creatives with comprehensive, in-depth training in the techniques and materials.

What role do you think curators play in the preservation and elevation of traditional crafts? Curators play an important role in raising levels of awareness, understanding and appreciation of the role traditional crafts play in today’s society. Through their study of the diverse practices, they play a key part in sustaining and developing the future of crafts.

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Basheir belongs to an intriguing community who call themselves ‘Dream Makers’. It consists of a tight circle of designers who all know one another and who specialise in creating atmospheric spaces. Basheir describes it as a niche market where projects are commissioned by word of mouth. Through this community, Basheir has come to complete a number of high-profile projects for a number of royal families across the Middle East, as well as celebrities including the likes of George and Amal Clooney. The world of the Dream Makers is small, close and well-connected. “The dream could be anything,” Basheir adds, playfully.

The proudly Bahraini designer grew up and spent most of his life in the Gulf: first in Dubai, then Manama – where he launched his eponymous practice in 2009. Born to Sudanese parents – a court judge and an artist – Basheir was interested in fashion design from a young age.

For those who know him – or have even caught a momentary glimpse – can assert to his distinct sartorial style, where assorted textures are precisely layered to evoke a certain type of panache. His signature statement is a single, solid rose gold ring that has been moulded and cast in the exact shape of his finger – a reference to the pharaohs of ancient Egypt who used to dip their fingers in gold. Basheir believes one’s appearance contributes greatly to their pursuit in life.

“I remember when I had my internship interview at Harvey Nichols, I was so overdressed,” he recalls, humorously. “The director asked me, ‘why are you dressed like this?’ and my answer to him was ‘dress for the job you want, and not the one you are applying to’. But fashion design was not a respected career path in the Arab world at the time. Instead, he chose interior design as the “next best thing”.

After completing his studies, Basheir began working at La Fontaine Centre for Contemporary Art in Manama as a design consultant, under the mentorship of its owner, Fatima Alireza. The experience exposed the young designer to a sophisticated design aesthetic and timeless beauty, where he redesigned its exhibition galleries and award-winning restaurant, creating custom-designed cutlery, furniture and plates. It was during his time at La Fontaine that Basheir met Her Excellency Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, who was Minister of Culture at the time and who has played a transformative role in the designer’s career.

“I was 24 years old when I met Her Excellency Shaikha Mai,” Basheir recalls. “I had designed an exhibition for National Geographic photographer Reza Deghati. I had text written on the floor, on the walls and brass locks throughout. It was very unusual for its time.”

HE Sheikha Mai, who is now president of the Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities, was immediately impressed by Basheir’s work and commissioned him to design the space for the opening performance of the Spring of Culture festival in Bahrain that year. It was the first collaboration of many. He began travelling with HE Shaikha Mai to create installations and kiosks for Bahrain at the Frankfurt and London book fairs. She challenged Basheir as a designer and contributed to his growth, and most importantly, maintained complete trust in his abilities.

“It is not easy to gain the trust of a client but over the last six to seven years, I have never created a presentation for Shaikha Mai or any perspective drawings. We are on the same wavelength and we know what we want through instinct. I am very grateful as not a lot of people are able to have that,” says Basheir.

Since relocating to Manama and opening his practice, Basheir’s main purpose has been to elevate design in the Middle East to an international standard but doing so on its own terms, without being dictated by the Western gaze and falling prey to orientalist cliches. Part of this mission was to also ascertain design as a practice that is important and valuable to society and to communities across the region. 

“I had a difficult time when I began my career in design because I did not have the support system around me as nobody was sure if it was possible to make a living out of design while also giving back to the community. Now I am very pleasantly surprised,” he says. For Basheir, community engagement is essential as is empowering artisans and working with local craftsmen.

“I see that there is a lot of local craft engaged on a very small scale. Unfortunately, I must admit that as a community, we have never empowered our artisans. We go to cities for tourism and we buy souvenirs from them, but we never give value to their work. They are always thought of as underprivileged and are not given importance as people of power. This is why I work with artisans in all my projects and it is something I have been doing for the last 12 years,” he says.

Basheir will soon be releasing a book called The Magician of Materials, which includes images of the artisans that have worked across his projects. “I have made sure I photographed all the artisans that I worked with using powerful portraits, almost royalty-like where they are sitting on thrones. We need to give them that sense of empowerment.” He is also keen on scouting talent from remote areas of the Middle East, instead of solely relying on design talent to gain access to the industry through an expensive education system that not all can afford.

“I have always had a dream to have a design bus that goes to villages all over the Arab world because there has to be talent there,” he shares.   

Basheir also believes the design community across the Arab world needs to be more open to collaboration and constructive criticism in order to evolve. He recalls having his work critiqued by 60 people and being told to find another career path which he first took harshly but later realised was an essential part of growth.

“We need to accept constructive criticism. This is where we have a problem. Sometimes when you criticise, people get upset. I love my work to be criticised. I think it is very healthy and that it’s the only way to learn.”

One of Basheir’s most significant projects to date is the design of the renovated Nuzul Al Salam in Muharraq, the first boutique hotel of its kind in the city, situated inside a restored traditional Bahraini house, and part of the Year of Zayed initiative between the UAE’s Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development and Bahrain’s Shaikh Ebrahim Center for Culture and Research.

“We really wanted to change the perception of Arabic design and Arab hospitality and debunk Arabesque clichés and orientalist references,” Basheir explains of the design. “So, my first brief to myself was no mashrabiya, no arabesque patters and no calligraphy as it has been an overkill for us, and we need to get out of this narrative.

“I also wanted to make sure that I did not create a design that is alien to the environment. The most important people to design for are the people living in the area. They need to be able to welcome it and understand it.

“The house itself was based on the 1930s era which was very colonial. Many Arab nations were colonies at the time and these colonies were a major influence on the built environment. We were heavily impacted by Britain and India in our design aesthetic. I didn’t want to adapt things that we never had. We had terrazzo flooring, we had simple painted walls, but we never had chandeliers, it wasn’t part of our culture. So, why would I introduce something that wasn’t there? I wanted to create something that was relatable and spoke the language of the place.”

Basheir’s own flair for layering and eclectic compositions is evident throughout the project, something that wasn’t present in his earlier projects which he describes as minimal, clean, contemporary and sleek.

“As I grew older I began to develop a love for materials and volume and began to understand the importance of decadence. I understood that a design should live that long. So, my inspiration really comes from these three words. I used to design houses and places that were nice to photograph or good for a coffee table book. Then slowly I realised that it is very important to integrate your senses in the process. Now, I design homes rather than houses. I design living spaces. The concept of fine living should start from you, not from the spaces around you. This is what happens when you engage all your senses,” Basheir explains.

“Design is very much linked to your emotions and your senses. This is what I try to do with my projects. There is lots of layering. A lot of textures and details. Because I want to occupy you mentally.”

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“If you can, depict a scene where you’re in Lagos,” says 33-year-old British-Nigerian designer Yinka Ilori over a Zoom call from his studio in North Acton, London. “It’s busy, there’s sunshine, everyone is wearing colour. It’s pretty special. I try to bring those scenes and that culture into my work.”

Ilori’s parents moved to the UK from Nigeria in the 1980s. He was brought up in Islington in north London, but growing up in London was difficult for someone with a dual identity, he recalls. “You are told that, while yes, you are in London and yes, you are British, you are also Nigerian, you are not English – don’t ever get it wrong”. Exploring this duality in his identity is a strong theme in Ilori’s work that draws immediate parallels with his upbringing.

“My Nigerian-British heritage has given me a subject matter that I can talk about. If we are talking about sustainability in Nigeria or vernacular architecture or colour, fabrics, lace. There is so much history that I can dig into, such as post-colonialism, slavery; there are so many layers of history that I can talk about and reference in my work. I know that I will never run out of stories or inspiration because it is literally all in the motherland.”

Photography by Andrew Meredith.

Ilori began his career by readapting chairs as part of a project assigned to him by his tutor Jane Atfield during his studies at the London Metropolitan University, inspired by Martino Gamper’s 100 Chairs in 100 Days. The process of finding something that was discarded and giving it a new life and narrative was attractive to Ilori, who thrived off storytelling – something he also attributes to the rich oral tradition of telling parables in Nigeria. He also adds that he was “a shy designer and a bit of an introvert”, so creating objects that told their own stories offered a level of comfort where his work would speak for itself.

“For me they were never just chairs, they told stories, they held feelings, they held emotions. We cry on a chair, we argue on a chair, we love on a chair. They are such powerful objects and I think sometimes, we take these objects for granted because they are so accessible, but also so disposable.”

He also loves the community spirit and spontaneity of everyday objects – something he recognised in the way objects were treated in his parent’s village in Nigeria. People around him would use these objects as seating – be it a concrete block or an old tire, allowing them to become part of the community and form conversations.

“I think for me, just seeing how everyday objects are used to create spaces is powerful and how they create a sense of hierarchy in these spaces. For example, in my household, my dad has a chair that he likes to sit on, and it just shows this connection with an object and how this object is given power or status,” Ilori explains.

Project Earth for Selfridges, London. Photography by Andrew Stagg

He launched his first collection in 2015, at a time where he was growing increasingly frustrated with the design industry in the UK. “For me, design wasn’t a very inclusive space that celebrated different cultures and it wasn’t inclusive for people of colour. It was quite an elitist thing,” he shares.

Ilori says that things are definitely changing now. “If we look at what is happening around the world with Black Lives Matter, a lot of industries have been called out for their lack of diversity especially at the top, which is where the change starts. It is a slow transition and it isn’t going to happen overnight. People are always scared of change and what change can bring, but for me, I love change and I’m always excited for change.

“There are so many voices and so many stories still to be heard in design. I think once the design industry, not only in London but around the world can celebrate people of colour and celebrate designers from different backgrounds, allow them into the industry and allow them to tell their stories, you will see a huge change in design. Not only in what you see aesthetically but also in how the public can enjoy the work that is being put out.”

He adds that the rise of social media has also allowed designers to carve their own path: “A lot of people are no longer asking for a foot in the door or asking to be accepted. The power of social media is allowing people to create their own platforms and allowing them to make their own keys and put it in the door and open it themselves.”

Colour Palace, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London. Photography by Adam Scott

Back in 2015, being someone who belonged to two different cultures wasn’t a narrative that he felt was encouraged or understood within the design industry. Nor how that experience could translate into a piece of furniture. “I don’t think they understood it, and I don’t think the industry was ready to see something like that,” he says. So, Ilori decided to produce a body of work completely on his own terms. “It changed my life.”

He self-launched a collection of five chairs called ‘If Chairs Could Talk’ that was inspired by five people with whom he grew up: each chair embodied their stories and reflected a parable told to him to by his parents The collection had to be real and honest, he says. The feedback was immense. Pieces from If Chairs Could Talk have since been acquired by the Brighton Museum and the Museum of London and have been exhibited at the Vitra Design Museum. He cites it as his “first body of work that had a really strong subject matter.”

“I have three left in that collection, and I am saving them for the rest of my life.”

As his work continued to grow, and commissions poured in from the likes of Cannes Film Festival, Pepsi, Universal Music and Kvadrat as well as the Somerset House and the London Architecture Festival, Ilori’s work became increasingly associated with his use of colour.

“The function of colour for me is an extension of who I am,” he explains. “It is an extension of my culture and my identity.” He often gets asked, ‘how do you use colour like that?’ and he replies that he doesn’t know.

“I just do it. It comes naturally to me and you know what? I’ve never had to ask myself that question.” Ilori explains that his confidence with colour stems from his parents who didn’t seek validation for the colours they wore, or the shades that they mixed and matched. “I know there is colour theory but to me, there are no rules in how you apply colour.”

A Large Chair Does Not Make A King; an installation for the Africa Centre, London. Photography by Andrew Meredith

Does he ever feel pigeonholed? “Yes. But, I’m over it,” he says. “It does have a shadow over my design capabilities. Sometimes someone will say, ‘oh you did the colour, and I would say, ‘no, I designed the whole thing’. So, it’s quite tough. But I’m not very bothered anymore. Not to sound arrogant, but I think being able to use colour in this way is a gift and I should celebrate that fact. So yes, I am now OK with it because colour will always be a huge part of my practice, a huge part of my life and what I do.”

One of Ilori’s biggest commissions to date is the Colour Palace, a temporary pavilion set on the manicured lawns of the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London’s middle-class neighbourhood. Created in collaboration with Pricegore, it celebrates a fusion of European and African cultural traditions, paying homage to multicultural London. A Dutch wax print on display in a Lagos market that is mirrored in London’s ‘Little Lagos’ in nearby Peckham inspired the bold geometric pattern of the pavilion, creating a powerful contrast against the gallery building designed by Sir John Soane that sits alongside it. Ilori says that the pavilion is his most rewarding project to date.

If Chairs Could Talk, upcycled furniture series

“I think it is about what it represented for me and what it did for the culture, for people of colour and what it did for multiculturalism. It made people feel like they could go to a space that they weren’t able to go to before or didn’t feel comfortable going. It allowed people to mingle in ways they maybe wouldn’t have before. It brought black people, white people, Asians; every race together. It unified people. And I think that is very powerful and that is what architecture should do. It should be able to allow all people to feel a sense of belonging.”

Ilori also believes in the power of design to create joy, positivity, hope and an opportunity to make memories. During the London Design Festival, he collaborated with a non-profit social enterprise, Restoration Station, working with people in addiction recovery to upcycle furniture that was later auctioned and donated to the organisation. He has overhauled a “gloomy underpass” in south London with vibrant colours and bold patterns through a project called Happy Street, creating a welcoming space for pedestrians and cyclists that the community can be proud of. His latest public art project with the NHS in light of the COVID-19 pandemic features a mural that reads: ‘better days are coming, I promise’.

Ilori has also recently unveiled a milestone project: three shop windows for the Selfridges department store in London as part of an initiative called Project Earth, which he says has “always been a dream of mine”. The three shop windows are called ‘Dedications to Earth’ depicting different natural landscapes using everyday materials to provoke questions about people’s relationships with nature and waste.

Happy Street, Thessaly Rosh Bridge as part of London Festival of Architecture

“I discuss tough topics, but I always try to finish off with a positive message and I always try to do it in a more subtle way so it’s not just saying ‘life is so amazing’, but that this is what is happening. But we are allowed to be positive and we are allowed to be hopeful. I think as a designer and as an artist, I have the responsibility to give people some kind of compassion, hope and joy, because life is tough.

“I usually ask people, ‘what’s the first thing you do when you see my work?’ and a lot of people answer that they smile. If a person sees my work for the first time and their initial reaction isn’t positive, then I would feel like I have failed. I want to create joy in my work.”

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