Wallpaper* had a first look at the multidisciplinary creative movements from the Middle East with a succinct compendium exhibited during London Design Festival 2014. This year we expanded on our view of Arabic design talent with the second instalment of 'Middle East Revealed,' our celebratory digest of design from the region in collaboration with Dubai Design District (d3). As part of our Milanese Wallpaper* Arcade during Salone del Mobile, the exhibition gave an insight into fields that span from furniture design to photography.
Curated by Wallpaper* editor-at-large Suzanne Trocmé in collaboration with Design Days Dubai founder Cyril Zammit, the exhibition offered a comprehensive view of the region’s rich cultural influences and the design approach of a new generation of creatives.
The Milan exhibition revisited the work of a few designers featured in Wallpaper’s first show, such as Khalid Shafar and Aljoud Lootah, both of whom presented new pieces that gracefully connected cultures and visual languages with striking design objects. Shafar’s ‘2:4 Chairs’ and ‘Puzzle rug’, for instance, are inspired by the popular sand souvenirs found in the Emirates which use different colors of sand to create graphic patterns under glass. His textile work takes the cliché souvenirs to the next level, transforming the subtle sand tones into vibrant shades arranged in abstract, graphic compositions and used both as woven and upholstery textiles. Lootah’s pieces, on the other hand, combine the intricate construction of origami with precise craftsmanship. The resulting 'Oru' collection gives a poetic three-dimensionality to flat sheets of wood.
New additions to the roster included young Istanbul-based designer Tamer Nakisci, whose ‘Futureisblank’ collection of felt hats give traditional Turkish headgear a contemporary shape. Also part of the show was David/Nicolas, a Beirut-based design duo whose sophisticated ‘Loulou/Hoda’ series of opulent objects bridged the gap between classic Lebanese aesthetic and modern design.
Overall, the exhibition painted a fitting picture of the current, and burgeoning state of Middle Eastern creativity.
The Braided Chair and Ottoman by Emirati designer Latifa Saeed
Lebanese architect Fadi Sarieddine's 'Rise to the Occasion' bar is a fitting example of its creator's architectural experiences applied to furniture design
Sarieddine's 'Rise to the Occasion' bar is built with a modular system of adaptable components, and allows ample customization by inserting several parts in its slots. The counter can transform into a bench, or become a desk, allowing for a day-to-night function
Curated by Wallpaper* editor-at-large Suzanne Trocmé in collaboration with Design Days Dubai founder Cyril Zammit, the exhibition offered once again a comprehensive view of the region’s rich cultural influences and the approaches of a new generation of creatives
Aljoud Lootah's Oru lamp, part of a larger collection of origami-like objects, fatures a graceful composition that gives a poetic three-dimensionality to flat sheets of wood
As part of our Milanese Wallpaper* Arcade, the exhibition gave an insight into fields that span from furniture design to photography
Also part of the show was David/Nicolas, a Beirut-based design duo whose sophisticated Loulou/Hoda series of opulent objects bridged the gap between classic Lebanese aesthetic and modern design
The designers featured included young Istanbul-based designer Tamer Nakisci. His 'Futureisblank' collection of felt hats gives a contemporary shape to a traditional Turkish headgear
The geometric N+ chair by Nanu Al-Hamad questions the idea of transcendence with a chair that 'requires self-reliance or the reliance of another'
Designer Fadi Sarieddine and Wallpaper* Editor-at-Large and 'Middle East Revealed' curator Suzanne Trocmé
The 'Middle East Revealed' team, left to right: Maitha Al Suwaidi, Senior Business Development Manager at Dubai Design District (d3); Khalid Shaffar, Designer; Mark Stobbs, d3 Marketing Director; Nadine Kanso, Jewellery Designer; Cyril Zammit, Design Days Dubai Director; Yasmeen Abuamer, Senior Marketing Specialist
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