Doha: Liwan Design Studios and Labs has invited the public across Qatar to attend the upcoming Liwan Open Day and Exhibition Openings on May 14 from 6pm to 9pm at Liwan Design Studios and Labs.
This community-building event will feature a showcase of the latest multidisciplinary design experiments and innovative research projects incubated at Liwan, as well as two exciting exhibitions.
Liwan Director, Aisha Bint Nasser Al Sowaidi said: “As part of Liwan’s commitment to support the local community, we have welcomed hundreds of designers, professional creatives, and design enthusiasts through our doors in the past few months via our open-day events, with plans to host more in the future."
The first exhibition, titled “The Edible Lab: Food, Culture & Design,” is a project led by designer Astrid Kensinger, Chair of Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Arts Qatar. Featuring 13 artists and designers, the semester-long project explores the intersection of food and design through the lens of Qatari heritage.
The works highlight both tangible and intangible heritage through oral histories and personal narratives, including recipes, rituals, feasts, celebrations, superstitions, and even grandmothers’ advice, taking visitors on a rich and complex edible journey. This unique exhibit, on display for the first time in Liwan, will include posters and books that pull from students’ personal narratives and connections to the ingredients.
The second exhibition displays the results of three workshops conducted by different artists at Liwan. The first workshop, “Creating Contemporary Wooden Sculptures,” led by interior architect Suzana Joumaa, had five participants, and resulted in four wooden sculptures being exhibited. The workshop took participants through the process of developing a wood design from 2D technical drawings, which were then cut and assembled by a carpenter to create a 30x30x10cm colourful wooden sculpture.
The second workshop showcased in the exhibition, “The Monobloc: A Chair for One, A Chair for All,” led by interdisciplinary designer Majdulin Nashrallah, featured six participants and exhibited three monobloc chairs. The workshop aimed to transform the famous Monobloc chair, the world’s most popular piece of furniture, into an object with its own identity and narrative.
The third workshop, “The Kimono and the Abaya: Cultural Hybrids through Fashion,” led by fashion designer Sayuri Kurotsu, had 10 creative community affiliates of Liwan participating, who experimented with sustainable design and different styles, and resulted in five garments being exhibited.
Admission is free.
