The Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council’s Creative Dialogue initiative brings collaboration between artists, designers and artisans, gathered around a variety of ideas designed to create innovative approaches during the conception of everyday design items...
As part of this project, Gaia Bin Mesmar, a designer from the Emirates and the design studio Mermelada from Barcelona, created a collection of chairs, a reinterpretation of Safeefah furniture models, created by traditional palm weaving skills and techniques, a specific way of making related to the history and culture of the United Arab Emirates.
Inspired by traditional aresh houses created from palm reeds, the designers came up with the idea of creating a unique narrative, which inextricably links the mentioned technique with the functionality of the seating object. Elegant conical chairs bring a semi-enclosed, private and protected space, just like homes designed with the same material. Additionally, the chairs of this new collection are the perfect way to bring natural elements into any space.
The craftsmen of the Bidwa studio are in charge of creating the layouts of the Safeefah chair collection, as part of Irthi’s Bidwa Social Development Program. During the production process of these incredibly elegant pieces of furniture, the designers also experimented with the use of different techniques, and provided all interested customers with a great variety of color palettes within the collection itself.
