Drop 0.5 by Kameh.
Photo: Courtesy of Kameh
Discover Highlights from Dubai Design Week 2024
The tenth edition of the fair featured striking artisan-made goods that celebrated the diverse array of talents cultivated in the Middle East
The Middle East’s first design event celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, drawing over 300 designers and brands from over 40 countries to the so-called “City of Gold.” The fair took place in the Waterfront Terrace of the city’s Design District—an enviable spot perched on the Persian Gulf with picture-perfect views of the growing skyline.
Said views were best enjoyed from the Veuve Cliquot Sun Club Lounge, a sprawling waterfront pop-up created by the legendary champagne house in collaboration with Studio Marcel Poulain, proffering their signature bubbles. This year also brought the debut of Editions, a fair-in-the-fair dedicated to limited-edition art and contemporary design, no doubt a nod to the growing interest in the category and a recent report ranking Dubai as one of the top ten “important art fair cities in the world.”
Here are five standouts from the captivating event:
Barbossa Console designed by Delaram Bolourchi. Photo: Courtesy of Blooker Design Gallery
1. Blooker Design Gallery
The Dubai, Tehran, and Milan-based collectible design gallery presented “Nian Objects” by Delaram Bolourchi and Ali Kermanian of Nian Architects Studio. The collection, described as “blending prestigious materials with industrial aesthetics,” included several chairs, a console, a bench, coffee and side tables, and a screen crafted from lacquered wood, brass, stainless steel, and upholstered in luxe fabrics.
Medaillon Collection by Boo Design Studio. Photo: Jooousef
2. Boo Design Studio
Lebanese designers Amanda and Jo Booabbood are the team behind Boo Design Studio, with offices in Doha and Beirut. Their Medaillon collection debuted earlier this year and is inspired by “ancient adornments,” specifically the geometry of traditional Arab jewelry (albeit filtered through the couple’s decidedly modern lens). It consists of lighting and seating in oxidized stainless steel and velvet, all made in the Middle East.
Embassie of Design, Tapestry by Sina Dyks. Photo: Courtesy of Sina Dyks
3. Sina Dyks
Sina Dyks was showing what she calls “textile artworks,” spectacular wall hangings that are crafted using a combination of hand and machine weaving techniques incorporating recycled PET yarns. Dyks, who hails from The Netherlands, studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, which is where she developed the unique skillset she uses to create these intricately layered tapestries.
Drop 0.5 Chair A. Photo: Courtesy of Kameh.
Drop 0.5 Chair T. Photo: Courtesy of Kameh
4. Kameh
The relatively new Dubai-based brand Kameh showed Drop 0.5, an edition of five ash wood chairs with a charred finish achieved using the traditional Japanese technique of shou sugi ban. Kameh found inspiration for the collection from a quote by the renowned naturalist John Muir: “And into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul.” Each chair is simultaneously one-of-a-kind and an edition of 10, hand-crafted by artisans in the UAE.
Work by Héctor Esrawe. Photo: Alejandro Ramirez Orozco
5. Gallery Collectional
Billed as Dubai’s “first collectible design gallery,” Collectional opened its doors three years ago with an impressive roster of designers from around the globe. Their latest show, Unearthing: The Alchemy of Mexican Metalwork, opened during design week, showcasing the works of Manu Bañó and EWE Studio, as well as Héctor Esrawe, who created the dazzling Gear desk seen here. All are based in Mexico, each crafting a beautiful range of functional objects that are “an homage to the metallurgy traditions” of that country.
Cover: Drop 0.5 by Kameh.
Photo: Courtesy of Kameh
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