Crystal No. 6

Crystal No. 6 is part of the headline exhibition for Design Doha Arab Design Now in the inaugural edition of Design Doha curated by Rana Beiruti.

This iteration of Crystal No. 6 signals the conclusion of the first phase of many questions we have about Freej Al Murar, a historically and culturally vibrant neighborhood located in Dubai. These inquiries initially stemmed from the clothes Emirati women traditionally wear, pivoting on a specific facet of the Freej’s life. It would be facile to romanticise commissioning a mkhawera. Crystal No. 6 is a homage to the hands that painstakingly place tiny beads in a sequence—hands that were conspicuously absent during our site visits.

The project allowed us to work collectively on an installation, film, and publication. The publication features essays by Ahmed Makia, Kallol Data, Uzma Z. Rizvi, and ourselves. The film, directed by Abdulla Majjan, delves into the lives of 3 artisans and makers who work in Freej Al Murar: Mohammad Abbas, Abdul Basit, and Najmuldin. Within the exhibition space, the visitor is confronted with three Addas or embroidery stretchers placed at sitting height, each adorned with embroidered personal narratives crafted by the artisans. The visitor is prompted to sit, assuming the posture of the maker, to engage intimately with the embroidery.