The six designers selected for the 9^th edition of Tashkeel’s Tanween design programme, under the theme of sustainability, will unveil their commercially available, limited edition design pieces at Downtown Design during Dubai Design Week, taking place 9-13 November.

With each piece conceived, designed and produced in the UAE, the mission of the Tanween design programme is to nurture the ongoing evolution of UAE design by providing a year of fully funded training for a cohort of rigorously-selected professional designers. The results will join other ground-breaking UAE-made, designed and inspired furniture and lighting pieces in The Tanween Collection by Tashkeel.

The outcomes of the 2022 Tanween design programme and the latest additions to The Tanween Collection are:

• Tibrah by Emirati architect Reema Al Mheiri ­­– a floor lamp design inspired by Emirati poetry about a fleet of dhows sailing back to port. Composed of three harmonious lighting elements made of treated fish scales from Ajman Fish Market.
• Anamil (Fingertips) by Saudi Arabian designer Huda Al-Aithan – a suspended pendant light that celebrates the regional craft of ‘Safeefah’ (palm frond weaving). An unorthodox design produced in collaboration with Emirati craftswomen.
• Kaseeriya كسيرية(Fractal) by South African designer Ebrahim Assur – an elegant bench using materials including Palmade biodegradable pallets, recycled cork and camel leather.
• SKin by Egyptian designer, Shaza Khalil – a ceiling mounted light inspired by the Plumeria (Frangipani) tree, featuring a natural material grown by bacteria during the fermentation process of Kombucha, a probiotic drink made of fermented tea and honey.
• Datecrete Vanity 0.1. by Sharjah-based Sara Abu Farha & Khaled Shalkha – a console developed by architect / urban planner and a chemical engineer, using the world’s first date seed-based cementitious material with no trace of concrete or resin.

“Tashkeel challenged its 2022 Tanween design programme cohort to address fundamental sustainability challenges facing the region and the wider world today. While collaborating with engineers, scientists and manufacturers as part of their journey of research and experimentation, participants developed fresh, functional designs that draw deeply on the nature and traditions of the UAE,” said Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel.

Since 2011, Tashkeel has enabled 35 designers to embark on professional development training, leading to more than 40 prototypes and resulting in 25+ furniture and lighting pieces inspired by, designed and made in the UAE.

Tashkeel has a history of training UAE artists and designers in Japanese techniques. In the past, it has offered training in Japanese woodblock printing, bookbinding and calligraphy in addition to a residency exchange with Japan back in 2016. This November, for the very first time ever in Dubai, Tashkeel presents a series of intensive Japanese woodwork courses developed by Kyoto-based Japanese Woodwork Studio Iwata Houraiya. The series of four-day courses will train participants in the ancient craft of Japanese joinery; intricate age-old techniques using a hand tools and machines to create perfect joinery on elegant wooden items of different scale and functions including coasters, trays, chairs and tables. Tashkeel X Iwata Houraiya will be led by the master craftsman Satoshi Ichihara. Choose from morning or afternoon courses as well as beginner, intermediate and advanced levels between 30 october and 23 November. Course participants will develop key skills in specific joinery techniques, including Japanese woodworking, lacquering, and more. Courses will be held at Tashkeel’s facility in Nad Al Sheba.

Finally, Tashkeel will unveil the winner of the 9^th edition of the Middle East Emergent Designer Prize by Van Cleef & Arpels, in partnership with Tashkeel, under the central theme of ‘Renewal’. The award-winning piece will then be displayed at Les Salons Van Cleef & Arpels Dubai Opera until March next year, during which time the winning designer will travel to Paris for masterclasses at L’ECOLE Van Cleef & Arpels.

“A key goal for Tashkeel is contributing to a vibrant, self-sustaining design sector that fosters talent while celebrating and incorporating its natural resources. Through our Tanween design programme as well as workshops and partnerships, we are playing a fundamental role in the growth and evolution of regional design,” added Tashkeel’s deputy director.