Beginning today in Dubai’s Design District (D3), Dubai Design Week is hosting an exciting edition of its annual event under the theme “Design With Impact.” While there are a number of female artists showcasing their works and concepts at the design festival, Nourhan Rahhal and Reem Jeghel are two Arab women that are part of the showcase.
Nourhan Rahhal Vee
Nourhan Rahhal’s concept entitled “Vee” is a noteworthy chair design that won’t be leaving your memory bank anytime soon. Intriguing, Rahhal mentions that her design “allows one’s natural strength to manifest itself in the designed details of the chair.” She designed “Vee” with the goal to enlighten its user about just how important good posture is and how it affects psychology and self-confidence while providing the user the opportunity to experience a form of a power pose. Moreover, the concept also challenges how young women are taught to sit in a curled-up manner when they should be able to “comfortably stretch their bodies, just like Wonder Woman would.”
Reem Jeghel Palm veneer
Reem Jeghel is putting sustainability at the forefront of her design offering as she introduces a new material called “palm veneer” to the design showcase this week.
It is formed by pressing palm fibers and turning them into a flat surface that has comparable qualities to wood veneer. This is then attached to cardboard, which ensures that the product is natural and biodegradable. Jeghel’s concept looks at the reduction of emission waste whilst also supporting the local UAE market by refining agricultural waste into products and interiors. Her installation at Dubai Design Week 2022 will take on the natural shape and hues of palm leaves by using wood marquetry techniques and framing. So what can “palm veneer” be used for? Well, according to Jeghel, the material can be “used to create warm and inviting interiors that bring a fresh perspective to nature’s place in the UAE.”
