“Crafting Design Futures”, is a spectacular annual exchange program between young Qatar-based and Moroccan designers established to explore craft practices and traditions of the two countries. Based on a shared goal to support craft revival in Qatar and the region.
The Middle East has been at the junction of east and west for centuries. Today it is considered a pivotal centre for contemporary art and design, drawing on the myriad rich traditions of the region for inspiration and blending age-old skills with contemporary technologies that highlight the depth of its cultural heritage.
Since the early 2000s, Qatar Museums— the region's leading arts and culture institution — has been working to expand the country's cultural infrastructure through several museums and festivals including the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Qatar (NMOQ), QM Gallery Al Riwaq, QM Gallery Katara, and Design Doha Biennale 2024. Various initiatives examine the opportunity to sustain, enrich, and innovate within traditional design skills towards new modes of practices, through collaborations and exchanges.
Presented as part of the Qatar-Morocco 2024 Year of Culture, “Crafting Design Futures”, will culminate with an exhibition by the Museum of Islamic Art this November, to showcase the artistic visions of nine designers from Qatar and Morocco- the two cultures abundant in handcrafting traditions.
The exhibition aims to highlight a unique traditional crafts residency, which brings together artisans skilled in various traditional crafts, including weaving, pottery, and woodworking. As such, it represents a deep commitment to the sustenance and support of craft and heritage of Qatar and Morocco, as well as contemporary practices of design, and fine arts, more broadly.
Curated by Gwen Farrelly, the exhibition will run until January 7, 2025, and present works produced during the Design Doha Residency Program 2024 | Morocco: Crafting Design Futures. This program is a key initiative under Design Doha, a biennial event launched in early 2024 to promote creative innovation within the Middle East and North Africa region.
“The biennial aims to build networks of exchange and collaboration among regional designers, and the Design Doha Residency Qatar | Morocco: Crafting Design Futures is central to that goal,” Farrelly explained. “This program examines the links between contemporary craft practices and innovative design through an exchange between Moroccan and Qatari creators.”
Qatar-based designers Nada Elkharashi, Reema Abu Hassan, Majdulin Nassrallah, and Abdulrahman Al-Muftah utilise the traditional Moroccan craft techniques they learned during the program to create multifunctional installations, products, and artistic displays, while also emphasising significant cultural narratives.
Meanwhile, Moroccan designers Amine Asselman, Bouchra Boudoua, Amine El-Gotaibi, Hamza Kadiri, and Sara Ouhaddou focused on earthworks, textiles, wood craftsmanship, ceramic and glass installations, and pottery.
The Moroccan participants spent two weeks in Qatar at the Liwan Design Studios & Labs and Torba Farm, where they immersed themselves in local culture and traditions. Participants from Qatar, in turn, visited studios and artisan schools in Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, and Fes, gaining insights and inspiration from Morocco’s rich craft traditions.
Reflecting on the alliance, Fahad Al Obaidly, Deputy Director of Design Doha states, “The residency offered these designers a hands-on experience, allowing them to learn directly from expert artisans in each country. The designers from both countries immersed themselves in each other’s craft traditions — ranging from ceramics to textiles — and developed new works that echo and build upon the heritage and contemporary practices of their cultures.”
Abdulrahman Al-Muftah, one of the Qatari participants and also the Residency and Programme Specialist, incorporated wood—a material not commonly linked with Qatar—into his work for the exhibition. “Wood was greatly valued by our ancestors therefore I chose to work with this material for the exhibit,” he tells The Kurator.
Al-Muftah’s piece is a shelf unit that mimics a tornado that transcends boundaries from the deserts of Morocco to the deserts of Qatar. It is his rendition of woodworking, drawing inspiration from the famed Moroccan artist Hamza Kadiri’s (also a participant) woodwork, which emphasises the importance of cultural exchange fostered through the residency.
Sought after by international collectors, Kadiri’s highly sculptural, contemporary work exemplifies the artist-designer’s mastery of marquetry and cabinetry. Inspired by mythology and classical art, Kadiri’s bold curves and textured surfaces magnify the material’s natural grains and patterns and the time-honoured techniques involved. Hailing from a long lineage of wood experts, the designer has honed his wood artistry from his workshop in Casablanca as well as his apprenticeships in Japan and travels around the world. He explains, “I create functional artworks, one-of-a-kind pieces in wood, where I explore the limits of the material and techniques. The works are created by hand, with a strong identity yet pure and elegant.”
Al Muftah adds, “Described by the curator as the Michelangelo of wood, In Kadiri’s hands, hardwoods become as malleable as clay, with household furniture items emerging as if they were poured into shape.”
The exhibition aims to surpass mere aesthetics and innovation, reflecting Qatar’s larger mission to bridge cultures through creativity. Al Muftah elaborates, “Cultural exchange is an essential part of understanding crafts, it is not a new concept, but rather an old one that we need to embrace. Qatar being a melting pot of cultures, demonstrates the transformative impact of finding inspiration through shared experiences that draw on the wisdom of our ancestors, our lifestyles, and our deep-rooted connections with our societies, landscapes, and environment—all of which collectively shape our unique perspectives, creative endeavours, and shared narratives”.
Meanwhile, preserving ancient techniques of Moroccan craftsmanship, Bouchra Boudoua reimagines the simple traditional pottery of the south to create vivid pieces that are reminiscent of an old era yet fit seamlessly into modern homes. The graphic patterns are derivatives of ancient fertility symbols, and she integrates facets of Berber culture to make her work reflective of its origins. “My grandparents were Berber, so on an individual level pottery is my way of connecting with my roots,” she says. “In Morocco, pottery is considered a man’s occupation and usually they paint very symmetrical Arabic designs. But my aim is to merge modern principles with this ancient language by using simple, freehand brushstrokes.”
Meanwhile Reema Abu Hassan’s artefact celebrates the Zellige craft through a series of objects crafted from marble and clay. Inspired by the geometry of the Zellige pieces, the elements come together harmoniously, creating intricate patterns and lines that echo the feel of handmade ceramic tiles, reminiscent of traditional Moroccan Zellige.
Each of these chosen designers from Morocco and Qatar all share a deep commitment to, and value for, sustaining the languages, communities, narratives, traditions, typologies, and objects of craft within their respective contexts and through their own practices as designers. In bringing these designers, artists and craftspeople together, Crafting Design Futures fosters a rich cross-cultural dialogue across makers in both environments and towards innovation, new objects and a greater awareness of contemporary craft practices within design contexts.
Abu Hassan describes, “I’ve learned that successful collaborations with artisans are always grounded in mutual respect and a shared understanding that each of us brings valuable knowledge to the table. This exchange of ideas and skills not only advances my own craft and designs but also has a positive impact on the work of the artisans and makers I collaborate with. Blending our expertise, digital tools, and a shared appreciation for both craft and handmade skills consistently results in meticulously crafted and thoughtfully designed artefacts.”
Additionally, Nada Elkharashi fashions an interesting humidity catcher light fixture designed to address the recent issue of water scarcity in Morocco by utilising the high levels of humidity found in Qatar. She explains, “This project became a journey of discovery, where I learned that sabra silk—long associated with its traditional uses—holds a hydrophilic nature, contrary to what I initially believed. This material became the heart of the installation, capturing atmospheric humidity and transforming it into a small water source, that also functions as a light fixture. This project is more than just functional; it demonstrates how thoughtful material choices can bridge environmental challenges across different regions”.
This residency reinforces the belief that true innovation in design emerges from the awareness gained through collaboration—where each participant is challenged to create the bridge between cultures, driving the potential for design sustainability and preservation of cultural heritage. It is not just about the coexistence of tradition and innovation, it’s also about understanding how this fusion can redefine and shape prevailing design trends on a broader scale.
