Arabi Chandelier

Object: Chandelier, 2012, Limited Edition
Description: 23 wool Egaals, silk ropes, Brass & Copper wires, metal structure | Dimensions: 55cm (central diameter) x 135cm

On the occasion of the inaugural edition of the Design Days Dubai fair, Carwan Gallery presented ‘Contemporary Perspectives in Middle Eastern Crafts’, a groundbreaking project exploring new avenues in design. It offered a unique collaboration between artisan and designer that expands the vocabulary of traditional Middle Eastern crafts. A selection of international designers were featured along with their recent works that were conceptualized around traditional craft techniques of the Middle East. These designers were commissioned to create a series of new, limited edition objects in partnership with local artisans from the Middle East. Each designer’s project involved the re-imagining of a distinct, time-honoured craft, where the specialized technique of each artisan formed the basis of the creation of a new object.

The ARABI chandelier is an object derived from the form, shape and materials of the egaal – the black head band worn by men in the Arab region to hold their head cover. This chandelier is created out of the circular egaals and silk ropes that are connected through the techniques of traditional crafts to enhance the bonds between each shape and the main body of the object. Circular handmade wool egaals are used vertically to shape the central circular body of the chandelier, while others are used horizontally to create the hanging chandelier shape. In the heart of the chandelier is a light fixture that provides illumination in both vertical directions, creating shadows and reflections across a room. The outcome is a classically shaped chandelier as a contemporary object where traditional handmade and modern industrial materials are combined.