Tanween designers Abdalla Almulla, Lana El Samman and Yara Habib produced three limited-edition products as part of their participation in the Tanween design programme 2019. Each product's concept and design went through a rigorous programme of experimentation, learning and mentorship, contributing towards defining a UAE design aesthetic that is inspired by, designed and manufactured in the UAE.
The three products Traces of Time, Mokaعab and Katta were retailed at Downtown Design (Editions) at Dubai Design Week 2019 from 12-15 November 2019 and are available to purchase through Tashkeel. Find out more about the designer's journeys, concepts and final pieces through the downloadable catalogue.
Tanween is a professional development programme by Tashkeel, open to emerging designers, makers and artisans living and working in the UAE. Each year, three to four practitioners are selected to embark on a journey of experimentation and learning that includes the development of products, from concept to completion, that contribute towards defining a UAE design aesthetic. The final products become part of the Tanween Collection and are revealed to the world at Dubai Design Week. Tashkeel then continues its support by providing funding, marketing and sales resources for a limited-edition product line, enabling each designer to gain entry into the market.
Tanween design programme is led by contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce (UK) and local mentor Kevin Badni with contributions from UAE-based and international design professionals such as Gareth Neal (UK), Salem Al-Qassimi (UAE) and Studio MUJU (UAE).
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Project updates
Mentors
Helen Voce
Mentor
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 Co-Ordinator 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.
Kevin Badni
Mentor
Kevin S. Badni is the Dean of College of Arts and Creative Enterprises at Zayed University. He received his Bachelors degree in Product Design from Loughborough University and his Masters in Multimedia Design from De Montfort University in the UK. Before becoming an academic, Kevin 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.
Gareth Neal
Mentor
Gareth Neal is a progressive and innovative London-based design studio established in 2006. The conceptually rigorous work incorporates digital and traditional fabrication techniques which unite harmoniously in uniquely crafted pieces. The practice is at the forefront of British furniture design with work that has been internationally acquired, exhibited and celebrated. Clients include Aesop, The Glenlivet, Hampton Court Palace, the Victoria & Albert Museum and Zaha Hadid Architects.
Jumana Taha
Trainer
Jumana Taha is an interior designer, product designer, and researcher based in the UAE. Jumana's career kick started soon after graduating from the American University of Sharjah when she joined a multinational design firm working on large scale projects in the hospitality and leisure industries. Her work as an interior designer presented the opportunity to explore various design realms including bespoke furniture design and detailing, lighting design, textiles, and narrative spatial design. After completing the Tanween Design Programme in 2016, she launched a furniture design studio alongside her partner Mentalla Said called Studio MUJU. Jumana is currently the project coordinator of Make Works UAE, an online directory of fabricators, material suppliers, workshops and manufacturers in the Emirates.
Salem Al-Qassimi
Trainer
Salem Al-Qassimi is a multidisciplinary designer, educator, & entrepreneur. He is the Principal and Founder of Fikra, and Director of the Fikra Graphic Design Biennial. He has published numerous articles, reviews, and essays on Arabic typography, culture, design. Al-Qassimi’s work focuses on elements of culture and identity and has been awarded regionally and internationally.
Current Participants
Abdalla Almulla
Abdalla Almulla is an Architect and Designer who established his own studio in 2018. A graduate of Woodbury University in San Diego, USA. Since returning home to the UAE, Abdalla has presented design ...
Lana El Samman
Lana El Samman is of Lebanese origin, and grew up in Beirut and later Canada, where she studied interior design followed by a Master’s degree at the Florence Institute of Design, Italy. Her career beg...
Yara Habib
Yara Habib is a graphic designer and emerging product designer and has lived in Lebanon, Canada, UK and the UAE. A Graphic Design BA graduate from the Lebanese American University, she worked for four...
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