An intersection worth exploring
Curated by Gwen Farrelly and on display at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha this December, a new exhibition spotlights works by trailblazing artists from Qatar and Morocco.
My experience as a marketing and creative strategist, writer, and editor is rooted in storytelling. Exploring the world of design is immensely linked to my work, as I’m guided by curiosity and open-mindedness.
WebsiteAlthough grounded in reality, the more you stare at Tornado Shelves, 2024, a hand-carved wood piece by Abdulrahman Al Muftah currently on display at the Crafting Design Futures exhibition, the more the trajectories of many unruly motions slowly but surely begin to crystalize.
In collaboration with Hamza Kadiri, the artwork is inspired by sandstorms: how sand bittersweetly interacts with the wind. It is also evocative of the Qatari designer’s focus on shaping collisions between nature, conceptuality, and Arabian culture. Crafting Design Futures, held at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, brings together works by nine gifted multidisciplinary artists from Qatar and Morocco.
Encompassing ceramic and glass multifunctional installations, pottery, earthworks, and more, the showcase marks the culmination of the 2024 Design Doha Residency which was realized in partnership with Year of Culture. Four Qatar-based makers–Reema Abu Hassan, Majdulin Nasr Allah, Abdulrahman Al Muftah, and Nada Elkharashi–spent a week in Morocco where they had the unique opportunity to visit the studios of local artisans and meet master educators who opened up about their expertise in wood, ceramics, and textiles. The foursome was also introduced to curators, designers, and academics of the region and visited sites dedicated to contemporary trades.
Five established Moroccan designers–Amine Asselman, Amine El Gotaibi, Sara Ouhaddou, Bouchra Boudoua, and Hamza Kadiri–traveled to Liwan Design Studios in downtown Msheireb of Qatar. During the ten days they spent in residence there, they interacted with design veterans and took part in workshops and live talks. The experience equipped each Moroccan artist to challenge themselves creatively and, in this way, expand and enrich their respective practices.
Rooted in a multilayered and unframable intersection between cultures and perspectives, all the works that makeup Crafting Design Futures reflect a commitment to sustainability and celebrate creative innovation in the realms of design and craftsmanship. Zellige Library, a meditative landscape by ceramics artist Reema Abu Hassan offers a new interpretation of the Moroccan art of Zellige by blending Qatari and Moroccan practices. An assortment of three monumental clay objects by Bouchra Boudoua, entitled TRIBU, conveys the artist’s exploration of Amazigh, ethnic groups that predate the arrival of Arabs in the Maghreb.
Arrous Anzar by Sara Ouhaddou, 30 glass vessels and similar objects from the collection of the Museum of Islamic Art, is the result of the Paris-based artist joining forces with fellow artisans. It pays tribute to the forgotten Moroccan tradition of glassblowing. Nada Elkharashi’s 66km is influenced by the aspect of resourcefulness found in Moroccan heritage. The installation comprises a Qatar-sourced rock on top of which silk Moroccan textiles threaded with LED bulbs are placed.
A manifestation of the many palpable and undetectable ties between the Moroccan and Qatari nations, Crafting Design Futures masterfully portrays how cultural and artisanal traditions can inform modern aesthetic expression and creative steer. Conceptual modern storytelling is draped in new meaning and nuance by honoring the past. The voices of today are nurtured and empowered to sustain the relationships they have formed as they move toward the next chapters of their artistic journeys.
