Nada Debs celebrates the evolution of craft at Dubai Design Week 2022

Curated in strategic partnership with Dubai Design District (D3), Dubai Design Week will return for its eighth edition from November 8, 2022, to November 13, 2022, offering individuals and businesses an illustrious platform to showcase their design experience and thinking through installations, exhibitions, and overall experiential mediums. The design event, the region's most culturally significant spectacle, will feature a stellar lineup of installations and displays highlighting Dubai's devotion to design, and is scheduled to take place at D3, a regional magnet for art, design, fashion and architecture. This year's agenda will focus on sustainability through design which will be subsumed all through the design week in a variety of disciplines such as architecture, product design, interior design, and multimedia by global and regional designers. Amongst the assortment of design displays is the exquisite collectable display by the Lebanese designer Nada Debs. Known for her artistic approach to design that centres on stages of artisanship, Debs will be displaying a mix of furniture designs that have come to resonate with time, tradition, and the future generations.

2022 also marks the twentieth anniversary of Nada Debs’ integrated design studio which has always addressed design with intricacy and superior craftsmanship. “My vision has always been to change people’s perception of local craft and design, presenting new techniques using age-old craft traditions to create objects with a soul,” says Debs. Over the course of twenty years, the Lebanese designer has refined her art of product design with the help of a close-knit team of twenty. She currently maintains an office and a retail store in Beirut, Lebanon, as well as a second residence in Dubai, UAE. The designer and her team work closely with local craftsmen on annual collections, one-off commissions and creative collaborations, seamlessly integrating local craft techniques into contemporary designs.

"I enjoy working with marginal craft communities, encouraging them to further enhance their craft with novel techniques, eventually creating a signature treatment applied to furniture and accessories," says Debs.In Lebanon, the product designer has gradually built a socially conscious artisanal library, where she works wood, stone, marble, mother-of-pearl, brass, and leather, embellishing them with intricate designs, patterns, geometry, and texture. Debs debuted her Zenobia collection at Milan Design Week 2022 earlier this year. For her showcase at the Dubai Design Week 2022, Debs brings together several collectible pieces placed within a warm and inviting space to engage, entertain and educate. Her vision for the exhibition is for viewers to connect with the stories, energy, and emotions flowing from the handcrafted furniture and accessories, evoking a sense of nostalgia steeped in history, legacy, and spirituality as a 'modern memory.'

The Keeping It Together table and bowl will be showcased as significant pieces designed by the studio. The items were created in response to the August 4, 2020, Beirut blast, which resulted in a huge loss for the studio. The designer re-created a few pieces that were destroyed in the blast by using certain craft techniques as a way to connect the broken pieces, transforming their pain from the loss into hope. Alongside, her iconic bowl from the MarquetryMania collectio n will be displayed as a hand-crafted accessory using the parquetry technique, weaving a playful and powerful narrative. The Organic console and the Organic occasional table were designed by Debs using contrasting materials namely mother of pearls and wood. The look and feel of both products assume a natural aesthetic that is fit for a perfect contemporary addition to a domestic setting.

Furthermore, the designer’s conjunction of a vibrant and contemporary style with traditional parquetry is observed through the Funquetry crisscross shelving system which is highlighted with colourful parquetry strips. Debs will also showcase her Pebble table, Pebble chair, Can Embroidery Buffet, Carved Lamp and Curved Zen Sofa to commemorate her studio's 20-year journey through the design world. The design display will be a perfect complement to Dubai’s design scene as a mix of modern with traditional. “My vision for the future is to develop into a lifestyle brand with a holistic approach to craft and interior design. Setting up base in Dubai is part of our growth strategy, as this region is a leading design hub and gateway from the Middle East to the rest of the world,” concludes Debs.