Basel – The Beirut-based Carwan Gallery is presenting new works at Design Miami/ Basel this month that translate cross-cultural elements and pixellated digital images into colourful furniture pieces made using hand-crafted production techniques to reference localised landscapes.
Curators Pascale Wakim and Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte commissioned the Landscapes series of tables and vases from Paris-based architect and designer India Mahdavi. The tiled tables mimic natural variegation and undulating fields, while the modular vases reference the blocks and towers of the haphazard city.
The artist collaborated with the Iznik Foundation to produce traditional Turkish-style tiles for the tables using natural quartz to create the vivid colours. Mahdavi spent her childhood in 11 different countries, and these works communicate her experience of moving between cultures with all their vibrancy and variation.
For more on location-led design work from the Middle East, read our Seed on the recent two-part exhibition at 19 Greek Street showing work from Israel and Lebanon.