Tanween 2024 cohort 01

Tashkeel is delighted to unveil the distinguished participants of the Tanween Design Programme 2024, marking its most largest cohort to date. The esteemed designers who shaped this edition are: Majid Al Bastaki, Khadija Al Mazimi, Rimsha Kidwai, One Third Studio, Samara & The Poet Studio and Osama Rashad.

In its eleventh iteration, the Tanween Design Programme remains steadfast in its commitment to sustainability, addressing a pivotal global challenge. Over the span of eleven months, the designers engaged in collaborative endeavors with engineers and scientists and their collective pursuit yielded innovative, functional designs wherein sustainability stands as a defining principle.

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Majid Al Bastaki

Crafted from rich wood and bold steel, "BO NAJ-MA" embodies the perfect blend of old-school charm and contemporary flair. Inspired by the iconic steel doors that once adorned neighborhood homes, "BO NAJ-MA" takes you back to an era where each door was a splash of personality, a portal between the quiet hum of family life and the bustling energy of the community outside.

 

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Khadija Al Mazimi

Introducing the FAY Pendant Light—a simple and modern lighting solution designed to enhance any space with its versatile functionality and contemporary aesthetics. Crafted from palm fiber materials and LED light, the FAY Pendant Light is more than just a light source; it's an aesthetically pleasing decorative product that promotes sustainability through the use of natural materials sourced from our environment. The design intent focuses on blending modern style with historical culture, resulting in a fixture that is both simple and elegant.

 

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Rimsha Kidwai

Kashi is the trail of a traveling craftsman. It is an effort to merge two traditional crafts, juxtaposing Emirati and South Asian elements to create a design piece that celebrates and reinterprets cultural boundaries. It is emblematic of a coming together of crafts, makers, and cultures, stacked tall as a totem of amalgamation. Each wooden stool is developed with a different geometric form and nestles various sizes of clay blocks. The collection also includes a handcrafted Sadu cushion.

 

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One Third Studio

Taleed, which translates from Arabic to "Old and Inherited," is a free-standing cabinet made from dyed palm tree leaves. The UAE's abundant supply of palm leaves offers a valuable resource with a wide range of sustainable applications. Taleed incorporates a new marquetry technique, using dyed palm leaves with an indigo powder stain reminiscent of the iconic burqa'a (women's face covering).

 

 

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Samara & The Poet Studio

The Sanad Collection: Coffee Table celebrates the beauty of off-cut travertine stone that is often discarded within the region. Designed with sustainability as the central driver, the design piece embraces the structural density of stone, while playfully suspending it on the supporting structure. The playful assembly of Sanad allows for versatility in the production of the table, enabling a sense of modularity that is tailored to the content of the design piece, while encouraging further discourse on sustainable yet playful design avenues in the region.

 

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Osama Rashad

KUNOOZ is a handmade coffee table crafted from natural materials and embodies the essence of simplicity. The Arabic term "KUNOOZ" describes the cultural richness and value held within a person, symbolically referring to the internal wealth of knowledge; it literally translates to “treasures.” The coffee table’s base is inspired by traditional sculpture techniques, with its cone shape informed by the "funnel drip" traditionally used when drinking coffee. 

The Tanween design programme was initiated in 2013 by Tashkeel and the late Roanne Dods, co-producer of Small is Beautiful. Alumni include Alya Al Eghfeli (UAE), Amer Aldour (UAE), Abdalla AlMulla (UAE), Ebrahim Assur (Cape Town), Eman Shafiq (Pakistan), Hala Al Ani (Iraq), Hamza Omari (Jordan), Huda Al Aithan (KSA), Ibbini Studio (UK/Jordan), Khaled Shalkha (Russia), Khawla Mohammed Al Balooshi (UAE), Lana El Samman (Lebanon/Canada), Latifa Saeed (UAE), Lina Ghalib (Egypt), Lujain Abulfaraj (KSA), Lujaine Rezk (Egypt), Myrtille Ronteix (France), Nada Abu Shaqra (Palestine), Neda Salmanpour (Iran), Nuhayr Zein (Egypt), Rand Abdul Jabbar (Iraq), Reema Al Mheiri (UAE), Renad Hussein (Jordan), Saher Oliver Samman (UK), Salem Al Mansoori (UAE), Sara Abu Farha (Palestine), Shaza Khalil (Egypt), Studio MUJU (UK/Egypt), Talin Hazbar (Syria), Tasneem Tinawi (Syria), Yara Habib (Lebanon/Canada), Zeinab Al Hashemi (UAE), Zuleika Penniman (USA/Lebanon).

Mentors

Kevin S. Badni is the Head of the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University. Previously, he was the Head of Art and Design at the American University of Sharjah. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Product Design from Loughborough University and his Master’s in Multimedia Design from De Montfort University in the UK. Before becoming an academic, Badni spent ten years as a professional designer working in the design industry, including managing the UK’s first commercial Virtual Reality centre. His main research area of interest is the personal perceptions of vision; he has had his art exhibited in galleries in the UK, Australia, America, Colombia, Italy and the UAE.

Helen Voce is a supporter of creative people and creative industries. As an independent project manager, event and programme producer in the creative industries she works locally, nationally, internationally and voluntarily from her base in Scotland. She designs, facilitates and produces opportunities, initiatives and spaces in which creative practitioners, microbusinesses and projects can realise their full artistic and business potential. Her professional specialism and personal interest is contemporary craft and design. Amongst other things, Voce is Regions Coordinator at Make Works, Co-Producer of Applied Arts Scotland’s Digital Craft Toolkit for the British Council {Thailand} and a Board Member of Fife Contemporary. Previous roles include business development programme / workshop facilitator and mentor at Emergents, Open Project Fund Assessor at Creative Scotland, Mentor on the British Crafts Council’s Hothouse development programme for emerging makers and Crafts Programme Producer at Cove Park, Scotland’s international artists’ residency centre. A postgraduate of the Royal College of Art / Victoria & Albert Museum’s MA in the History of Design and Material Cultural, 1650 to the present, Voce has previously worked for Cultural Enterprise Office, the British Crafts Council and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Current Participants

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Tashkeel Alserkal
Gallery, Unit 26, FN Designs, Alserkal Avenue
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