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Q&A with Lebanese space and product designer Najla El Zein

Don’t miss Najla El Zein in conversation with Pascale Wakim and Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte, founders of Beirut’s Carwan Gallery. They will discuss ‘The Art of Contemporary Design from Beirut’ at The Mosaic Rooms, 12pm 14th September, find out more here.

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1/ Who is your favourite designer from the Middle East right now / why?
I have a lot of admiration for the Egyptian jewelry designer Azza Fahmy. Her designs are poetic and driven by her passion and fascination for ancient Egyptian history. Each of her pieces tells a specific story. I visited her factory in Cairo two years ago, and discovered thousands of meticulous hands creating the pieces. The artisanal work is mind-blowing and her designs have a unique contemporary touch.

2/ Describe 3 things you love about working in Beirut and 3 things you find most challenging about it?
Beirut is an emotionally bulimic city. After 3 years of living there, the city still manages to surprise me. Beirut encompasses paradoxical urban esthetics which are very interesting, hence inspiring, from materials to landscapes, local architecture to extreme urban infrastructure. One cannot deny the chaotic characteristic of Beirut, but this can also represent a source of creative freedom. Everything is possible.
One of Beirut’s challenges would be surviving within this chaos. It is a city where you have no choice but to live in the present moment, something which can have its positive but also negative sides. The uncertainty of tomorrow amid the surrounding urgencies causes constant interrogations.

3/ What inspired your latest piece of work ‘The Wind Portal’ (commission by the V&A, on show for London Design Festival 2013).
‘The Wind Portal’ was inspired by the idea of transitioning from one space to the other, through the sensorial experience of wind.
Within the context of the V&A, it is a transition from an inner space into an outer space, preparing the visitors to discover the galleries beyond. The installation also takes into consideration the architectural context of the space, which leads here to the day-lit gallery. The installation takes the shape of an eight meter high gate, composed of thousands of paper windmills spinning via an integrated wind system. The illusion is that of a closed gate which seems to open up as you get closer, revealing a passageway. There, is the climax of the installation, where an interplay between wind and light simulates an exaggeration of common sensorial experiences. The Wind Portal is situated at the entrance of the Day-lit Gallery, which showcases fragments of the city during Medieval Renaissance.

4/ Tell us about any future projects you have lined up that we should look out for?
We are currently working on our new spoon lamp sculpture, which combines gold and stainless steel spoons, 2852 in total. It will be exhibited at PAD london this coming October at the Smogallery booth.
The sculpture takes the shape of a reptile-like animal which seems to clamber up the wall. With its “skin” made out of spoons, the sculpture reflects its surroundings, thereby camouflaging and morphing into the existing context.

Najla’s installation The Wind Portal is on display at the V&A (14 September–3 November) as part of this year’s London Design Festival.

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