The 9th edition of the Middle East Emergent Designer Prize has been won by a novel bookstand design called Ascension. It’s by 20-year-old Moufida Mohideen, currently studying for a BA in Interior Architecture and Design at the University of Sharjah.
The Prize, sponsored by Van Cleef & Arpels and organised by Tashkeel, aims to encourage and support designers to realise their ideas. This year’s theme was Renewal, reinforcing the importance of sustainable approaches to creation and highlighting the use of materials that are sourced locally and ethically.
The winning design is a sculptural bookstand that was inspired by the desert rose crystal formations that appear during Spring. Designed with two contrasting but locally sourced materials – Damas wood and mother of pearl – Ascension seeks to symbolise everlasting growth while narrating an earthly, homegrown tale of the Arabian desert.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, Deputy Director of Tashkeel, pointed to the Emregent Designer Prize’s “formidable” reputation for identifying rising talents – past winners have included Vikram Divecha, Hamza Omari, Julia Ibbini and last year Neda Salmanpour.
She identified the bold design and strong narrative of the winning piece, calling Ascension “an impassioned call to protect and preserve the rich environment of the Arabian Gulf and to respect all that nature provides”.
A passionate advocate of the environment, Mohideen says she believes it is the duty of all designers to explore the potential of natural materials around them. Her prize submission marries two contrasting raw materials within a design that challenges the conventional notion of a bookstand.
The judging panel consisted of representatives of Van Cleef & Arpels and Tashkeel with the Saudi interior architect and design mentor Nawaf Nahar Al Nassar.
Established in 2013, the Van Cleef & Arpels Middle East Emergent Designer Prize is presented in partnership with Tashkeel. Emerging designers who are resident in the GCC countries are invited to submit proposals for functional products that embody a particular theme; the designer responsible for the winning product receives a seven-day trip to Paris to attend courses led by the acclaimed Mains d’Or, master craftsmen in high jewellery creation, at the exclusive L’ECOLE Van Cleef & Arpels.
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