Voices of Design revisits five years of design innovation at Tashkeel, exhibiting work from its Tanween design programme and the last five winners of the Van Cleef & Arpels Middle East Emergent Designer Prize.

The core principle of Tashkeel’s Tanween design programme is to nurture design that is rooted in the UAE either through form, function, material or process.

This exhibition presents selected furniture and lighting pieces designed by seven UAE-based designers, all of whom have successfully graduated from the Tanween design programme since it launched in 2013. These designers are: Hamza Omari; Latifa Saeed; Lujain Abulfaraj; Lujaine Rezk; Rand Abdul Jabbar; Studio MUJU; and Zuleika Penniman.

The pieces have a clear call to action to utilize the ingenuity of those who have walked the land before us. They also encourage visitors to learn from their profound understanding of natural materials, build upon it, and find new applications that will sustain us, the environment in which we live and the traditions we uphold.
Voices of Design also looks back at winners of the last five editions of the Van Cleef & Arpels Middle East Emergent Designer Prize 2013-2018 (which is presented in collaboration with Tashkeel), as the initiative embarks on the call for entries for the 2019 prize across the Arabian Gulf. The winning works were designed by Salem Al Mansoori; Vikram Divecha; Ivan Parti; Ranim Orouk; and Hamza Omari.

About Tashkeel
Established in Dubai in 2008 by Lateefa bint Maktoum, Tashkeel provides a nurturing environment for art and design practice rooted in the UAE. With studios, work spaces and galleries located in both Nad Al Sheba and Al Fahidi, its annual programme includes professional development programmes, residencies, workshops, talks and exhibitions that enable creative practice, experimentation and dialogue among practitioners and the community.

Tashkeel’s specialist design initiatives include the Tanween design programme; Make Works UAE; the Tanween Collection; Designer-in-Residence programme and the Van Cleef & Arpels Middle East Emergent Designer Prize.