Sharjah 24: Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, an affiliate of NAMA Women Advancement (NAMA), recently hosted a panel discussion at The Arts Club Dubai (ACD), to highlight the role of Emirati women in preserving cultural heritage through cross cultural and sustainable design practices. The discussion, led by practitioners at the cutting edge of cultural heritage preservation, focused on Irthi’s latest curated ‘Zenobia Collection’ drop that debuted at Design Miami/ Podium x Shanghai, and which merges Emirati and regional craft traditions with artisanal techniques and cutting-edge design.

Panel members Farah Nasri, Acting Manager of Design and Curation, Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, and Levantine designer Nada Debs, also explored the connections between design and tradition and discussed how the new contemporary collection is creating innovative pathways for supporting sustainability, employment, and craft and cultural preservation. The discussion was moderated by Sybel Vazquez, Head of Cultural Programming, The Arts Club Dubai. 

A virtual panel discussion held last year by Irthi with Design Miami shortly after the August 4 blasts in Beirut, Lebanon, paved the way for the collaboration between Irthi and Nada Debs to forge new ways of preserving the cultural heritage of Beirut. 

Merging the intricate, handwoven braiding tradition of Emirati women with the wood-working heritage practiced predominately by men in the Levant, the Zenobia Collection drop features a contemporary collection of three multifunctional bowls of varying sizes. The bowls feature a solid French oak natural finish and incorporate woven Talli and Marquetry strips that lend itself to a new identity by bringing together the expertise of craftsmen and craftswomen from different parts of the region.

Nada Debs, whose work spans product and furniture design to craft, art, fashion, and interiors, said: “The Beirut blasts triggered a strength in me that led to an extreme creative surge. In my work, I aim to elevate craft by injecting the design element which is vital for the sustainability of traditional crafts practices. The collaboration with Irthi, for instance, led to the use of modern pop colours.”

Weaving two craft cultures together leads to a cross-pollination of design and craftsmanship and encourages out-of-the-box thinking, added the Lebanese designer. “Our main challenge with the Zenobia Collection drop was to integrate Talli – a fabric, into the wood, as this had not been attempted before. The products in this collection reflect a contemporary interpretation of a traditional design and have enabled both our craftsmen and the younger generation to see their cultural identities in a new light.”

Anything that is handmade stands the test of time, stated Debs, adding: “I believe that design should not only look good but also feel good. Creating pieces that resonate emotionally and reveal the soul of the craftsman/woman is the most important aspect of craft.”

Commenting on Irthi’s new collaboration, Farah Nasri said: “The Zenobia Collection drop weaves the worlds of Talli and Marquetry together and initiates a dialogue between two crafts from two different worlds. What we wanted to do with this collection is to democratise the craft and the handmade; and to showcase it in ways that everyone – across all age groups and cultures - can relate to, and thereby take the indigenous handmaking heritage of the region into the future.”

Highlighting Irthi’s ongoing cross-cultural collaborations with designers from different cultures and artistic backgrounds, Farah Nasri, said: “One of the most significant aspects of collective design is the contribution of many players including artisans and designers, researchers, and even scientists. Such cross-cultural collaborations help us integrate tradition and design and create a new and sustainable ecosystem for handmade crafts.”

She added: “At Irthi, our main aim is to empower artisans, and the ‘Zenobia Collection’ drop supported 50 artisans from the UAE and 10 from Lebanon. More importantly, the design innovations are giving greater momentum to Irthi’s efforts in revitalising and safeguarding the region’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage.”