(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Joelyn Baluyut |
The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: In a celebration of design that marries function and aesthetics, M7, Qatar's epicentre for innovation and entrepreneurship in design, fashion, and tech, is hosting an exhibition titled“Crafting Spaces” featuring exquisite pieces of furniture created by seven Qatar-based designers.
This small-scale pop-up exhibition runs in conjunction with the“Masterpieces of Furniture Design.” The designers are a mix of emerging talents and established names, each contributing their unique perspective to furniture design, including Abdulrahman Al Muftah, Aisha AlSuwaidi, Booabbood, Shaikha AlSulaiti, Thomas Modeen, FROMM x Shua'a Ali, and Wadha AlHajri.
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M7 Director, Maha Al Sulaiti expressed her excitement about expanding their design fobeyond fashion.“We also want to encourage our designers to foon interior design and furniture design disciplines.” This shift reflects M7's commitment to nurturing Qatar's burgeoning design community, she told The Peninsula.
The essence of“Crafting Spaces” lies in its ability to tell stories through furniture. The exhibited items are not just objects of utility; they are windows into the heritage, culture, and geography that have influenced these designers.
For instance, Msheireb Chair by Abdulrahman Al Muftah pays homage to Doha's historic downtown with travertine craftsmanship. Dervish Light by Booabbood draws inspiration from whirling dervish dance, while Carrom Table by Shaikha Al Sulaiti is inspired by traditional jewellery known as Hilaliya.
Sadu String Cabby Thomas Modeen features Sadu thread, Zal Carpet by FROMM x Shua'a Ali reflects nomad style tents of the Middle East, Cross Chair by Wadha Al Hajri combines minimalistic elegance with comfort and Shifted Reality: Remembrance of a Majlis by Aisha Al Suwaidi evokes a sense of belonging to a vanished space.
Meanwhile, the“Masterpieces of Furniture Design” exhibition, a collaboration between M7 and the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, is a revelatory experience for visitors.
Al Sulaiti believes that attendees will not only encounter iconic pieces but also gain insight into the rich history and evolution of design principles.“They are going to see iconic pieces that they recognised but maybe don't know the history behind it and this gives them a new perspective and to really understand the design principles and evolution.”
Looking ahead, Al Sulaiti shared M7's vision for the future.“This year our programming will be focused on furniture design and interior design. And hopefully next year, we'll foon sustainability, that's a very important factor forso we're looking into that, we're looking into artisans and crafts and how we can incorporate that into the designer's world, so there are a lot of topics that mean a lot toand [we] want the designers to also incorporate into their designs.”
Both“Masterpieces of Furniture Design” and“Crafting Spaces” are open for viewing until December 9. The exhibits are open from Saturday to Thursday, 11am to 9pm, and on Friday, 3:30pm to 9pm. It is located at M7 Building, Ground Floor, at Msheireb Downtown Doha.