Artisan work and craftsmanship have made their way back into the design field, and this design week, visitors can return to the roots of production taking part in workshops, or marveling at the various design pieces on display across exhibitions.
Artisan work and craftsmanship have made their way back into the design field, and this design week, visitors can return to the roots of production taking part in workshops, or marveling at the various design pieces on display across exhibitions.
Discovering a large selection of artisan pieces and works returning to the art of craftsmanship from the region, Abwab presents over 46 works by designers from across the MENASA, many of which draw influence and inspiration to the traditional artisans and craft of the region.
Inspired by the Balinese traditional firing techniques of the Raku Kiln, Professor Michel Rice exhibits a new body of works following his recent residency and research in Bali, focusing on Raku, Naked Raku and Saggar firing. In addition to the exhibition, he will also be hosting a workshop at the American University of Dubai. AUD will also be welcoming international ceramic artist Professor Magdalene Odundo, OBE giving a talk on Art, Objects & material culture. She is known for her distinct handmade anthropomorphic, vessel forms.
During Dubai Design Week, AUD will also be hosting the The Dubai Ceramic Award. Entrants from ceramic centers DUCTAC, DIAC, Yawadei and AUD will present a ceramic work demonstrating their methods and processes. The winner will go through to the final held at AUD.
At Tashkeel, London-based resident artist Fay McCaul will host a workshop on contemporary tapestry making. Participants will experiment with traditional textile processes, in particular foil and sublimation printing. Italian artist Marco Zanin will illustrate all the steps of mother-of-pearl processing at The Workshop, as well as showcase the work he produces with gold leaf, mother-of-pearl, crystals, and precious stones. At local design boutique O’de rose, the Design in Bloom exhibition will celebrate the work of designers Tamara Barrage and Meherunnisa Asad, creative director of Lél, who have transformed flowers into design pieces.
Officially launching during Dubai Design Week, Make Works UAE, will serve as on online directory of fabricators, material suppliers, workshops and manufacturers in the Emirates. The very first of its kind, Make Works UAE will be an interactive platform where creative minds can connect with skilled makers, encouraging local manufacturing, and supporting the Made in UAE movement.
In addition, workshop space, OriginBasewill invite visitors to drop in to the studio to see makers at work in different workshops and join demos of any process they're interested in.
Returning to Dubai Design week, Palestinian architects and designers Elias and Yousef Anastas showcase their latest commissioned work at Concrete, Alserkal. ‘While We Wait’ was commissioned by the Victoria & Albert Museum and is comprised of pieces of stone quarried in various regions of Palestine, which fit together to form a large, lattice-like, self-supporting structure. Using ‘stereotomy’, the art of cutting stones for assembly, it was produced in Palestine, and elements of the process used traditional techniques from the region. At Ikonhouse, Laura Bergsøe’s specially designed coffee table tells the story of Dubai’s past as a hub for pearl fishermen. This unique piece displays exceptional craftsmanship using saltwater pearls, lace-wood, pure silver and other precious materials.
At the alserkal Cultural Foundation in Al Bastakiya, Arash Kavoosi of Arash Leather explains the benefits and traditional uses of natural leather, followed by a live demonstration of sketching, cutting, and stitching, showing how an Arash bag is made from camel leather while a 15-minute screening of the wood-turning process, from picking the right wood, to the machinery and tools involved in the craft will be presented by Ayman Gharib.