Mr. & Mrs. Fanteer

2015 – Dubai, UAE

For the occasion of Dubai Design Week 2015, Khalid Shafar along with 3 other UAE-based designers presented a new design initiative called Design Ras Al Khor (DRAK). The objective of DRAK was to draw attention to the potential of the Ras Al Khor Industrial area as another creative district in Dubai.
For DREAK 15, the inaugural edition of DRAK, the founding members decided on the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary as the design topic to research and to design projects around. Being the participating designers as well, each founding member/designer presented a project themed around this topic.
MR. & MRS. FANTEER was one of two projects Khalid presented during DRAK 15. The design reflects a humorous pair of side drawers that reference the flamingo, known in the United Arab Emirates as Fanteer. Originally derived from Khalid Shafar’s signature THE PALM line, they are humorously transformed into birds’ bodies with artistically injected flamingo eyes. MR. & MRS. FANTEER are a composition of transformation. As intriguing children’s storybook characters yet functional and practical design objects, MR & MRS FANTEER tell the story of each unique and individual flamingo.
For the presentation during DRAK 15 Khalid presented a lonely pair of FANTEER in a dramatically dark setting to reflect on the issues related to the bird’s inability to Breeding in the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. Many reasons hinder their breeding success such as water levels, noise from nearby construction, road traffic and air quality.