Irthi to debut first product line as London design fair's official guest country pavillion

•  40 square metre exhibition area reflects the nature and landscape of the UAE
• Reem BinKaram: Selection of UAE as guest country is a testament to the ground-breaking work and innovative approach adopted by Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council

Sharjah: Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, an affiliate of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment, will unveil its first exclusive product line at a special showing at the London Design Fair (LDF), where it will represent the UAE as the fair’s ‘Guest Country’, for the first time.

Irthi will reveal 12 exclusive product collections that represent the craft and design talent of women in the UAE, giving the artisans their highest-profile international platform to date, highlighting the Council’s pioneering programme of creative, cultural and commercial initiatives designed to empower women through the crafts.

The collections are a result of two of the council’s recent projects: “Design Labs” and “Crafts Dialogue”, which were launched by the council earlier this year.

The council’s 40 square metre exhibition area will be designed to reflect the nature and landscape of the UAE, using elements such as wood and camel leather. The pavilion will take visitors on a journey that tells the story of how the collections came to be, from the raw material to the process of design and making, incorporating details of the rich handmaking heritage of Sharjah and the UAE along the way.

Speaking about the opportunity, Reem BinKaram, Director of NAMA, said: “The selection of the UAE as the guest country for this year’s LDF is a testament to the ground-breaking work and innovative approach adopted by the Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council. Both projects –Design Labs and Crafts Dialogue - reflect this innovative approach: They rely on designer collaborations from different cultures and artistic backgrounds, while at the same time working to empower local women artisans economically and socially, as well as ensuring a sustainable future for handmade and traditional crafts.”

She added: “These collaborations provided an opportunity for the exchange of knowledge, art disciplines and approaches, in addition to craft production techniques, which consequently resulted in the creation of innovative product lines.”

Elaborating on the UAE’s participation at LDF, Jimmy MacDonald, Founder and Director, London Design Fair, said: “Each year we nominate a ‘Guest Country’ drawing special attention to activities and creatives in the chosen region. We have long since been intrigued by the Middle East, nowhere more so than the UAE with its ambitious plans to develop its creative sector. The establishment of the Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council focusing on female artisans in the UAE, MENASEA and Central Asia is just such a great initiative and we are honoured to host the UK launch of their first product line at the Fair.”

The projects - Crafts Dialogue which will present four collections, and Design Labs, which will reveal eight collections, feature luxury products that were created through a collaboration between Irthi’s Bidwa Social Development Programnme’s artisans and trainees, and international designers and makers from the UAE, Pakistan, Japan, the US, the UK, Spain, Italy and Palestine.

As part of the Design Labs, Emirati women, who joined the Bidwa Social Development Programnme as trainees, learned the basics of new crafts like glassblowing, metalsmithing, and stone carving.

The LDF, is a four-day industry event that will bring together 550 exhibitors from 40 countries, and will be held from September 19 – 22, at Old Truman Brewery in Shoreditch, London.

-ENDS-

Attached Images:

• Crafts Dialogue project designers Fatima Al Zaabi, Ghaya bin Mesmar, Abdallah Al Mulla and Shaikha Bin Dhaher (UAE); Mermelada Estudio, Pepa Reverter and Adrian Salvador (Spain); Matteo Silverio (Italy); Samer Yamani, Co-curator. Source: Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council.
• Design Labs project designers: Patricia Swannell, Andrea Harari, and Kazuhito Takadoi with artisans from the Bidwa Social Development Programme. Source: Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council.
• Safeefah leather weave. Representational image. Source: Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council.
• Safeefah fronds and leather weaves. Representational image. Source: Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council.
• Safeefah weaves. Representational image. Source: Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council.

About Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council

The Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council aims to empower women socially and economically through the revival and modernization of traditional crafts, in addition to creating a sustainable future for these crafts and the artisans practicing them, through international partnerships and commercial collaborations.

The Council provides a fresh narrative for women artisans across the Middle East, North Africa, South East and Central Asia regions by developing their technical and vocational skills through social development and regional skills exchange programmes.

The Council also seeks to preserve traditional Emirati crafts, and develop the next generation of artisans and designers by engaging the youth and providing them with training and mentorship.

The Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council is one of three affiliates of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment. For more information, visit www.irthi.com 

© Press Release 2019