'Arab Designs Stand Out For Their Connection With The Land'

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Victor Bolorunduro | The Peninsula

Doha, Qatar: The uniqueness of Arab designs is in the way the designers have harvested the materials of the land, whether it's in the soil or in the textiles or in the various products that they take from the land, and then turn them into cultural objects, Rana Beiruti, the editor of Arab Design Now, a recently launched book by Qatar Museum's Design Doha, has said.

Speaking to The Peninsula recently, Beiruti, an independent curator and consultant in the creative industries with a studio based in Amman, noted that the conversation about Arab design has always started with the land.

“The conversation about Arab design always starts with the land. We have a very unique geography in the Arab world, a diverse geography, but also some challenging geographies, as you might know.

“Arab design is a captivating blend of intricate patterns, bold colours, and luxurious materials that reflect the rich cultural heritage and artistic traditions of the Arab world.

“The modern Arab designs, which stand out for their unique blend of tradition and modernity, creating spaces that are both visually stunning and culturally significant, often tell a little bit about the history of craft and how designers have taken traditional crafts from the region to a new place using new technologies, new perspectives, and new ways of making and tailored them to the modern world, modern living,” she said.

Beiruti noted that Arab design is not disconnected from the international design world.

“It's part very much embedded in the international design scene, both West and East. And I think the Arab world has always been a melting pot for exchange and culture,” she said.

Speaking about the book, Beiruti, who has given several talks and workshops, including at MISK Art Institute, Darat al Funun, Fantasmeem, Harvard GSD, American University of Cairo, Tasmeem Doha (Virginia Commonwealth University for the Arts Doha), Milan Design Week, and Beirut Design Week, among others, said that the book not only covers Arab designers who live in the Arab world but also Arab designers who live in all places around the world, as well as people who are not Arab but also live in the Arab world.

“You always see a blend of cultures in Arab design, whether it's from Africa, the West or anywhere else. So it kind of touches upon what Arab design is through the lens of this kind of multiculturalism that we see happening.”

“The book covers the works of roughly 74 designers from different countries around the Arab world who were part of the Arab Design Now exhibition, which ran from February 24 to August 5, 2024. It's a reflection of contemporary design in the Arab world today. And it also includes some essays or monologues by various designers talking about and reflecting on topics that matter to designers today,” she said.

On the future outlook for Arab designs, Beiruti pointed out that there is an increasing support for the designers in the Arab world, particularly with initiatives such as Design Doha and others.

“So we're seeing a new generation of designers who have the opportunities now to experiment, to show their work, to exchange knowledge. I think there's openness to the world, which will bring in a new wave of production. And, of course, the adoption of new technologies will also have its influence on the way Arab design is practiced,” she added.

The beautifully illustrated Arab Design Now, a full-colour, 360-page book, was published by Qatar Museums in partnership with Silvana Editoriale, and it commemorates the central exhibition of the inaugural edition of Design Doha.

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