‘Arab designs stand out for their connection with the land’

Doha, Qatar: The uniqueness of Arab designs is in the way the designers have harvested the materials of the land, whether it s in the soil or in the t...

Doha, Qatar: The uniqueness of Arab designs is in the way the designers have harvested the materials of the land, whether it’s in the soil or in the textiles or in the various products that they take from the land, and then turn them into cultural objects, Rana Beiruti, the editor of Arab Design Now, a recently launched book by Qatar Museum’s Design Doha, has said.

Speaking to The Peninsula recently, Beiruti, an independent curator and consultant in the creative industries with a studio based in Amman, noted that the conversation about Arab design has always started with the land.

“The conversation about Arab design always starts with the land. We have a very unique geography in the Arab world, a diverse geography, but also some challenging geographies, as you might know.

“Arab design is a captivating blend of intricate patterns, bold colours, and luxurious materials that reflect the rich cultural heritage and artistic traditions of the Arab world.

“The modern Arab designs, which stand out for their unique blend of tradition and modernity, creating spaces that are both visually stunning and culturally significant, often tell a little bit about the history of craft and how designers have taken traditional crafts from the region to a new place using new technologies, new perspectives, and new ways of making and tailored them to the modern world, modern living,” she said.