Artistic Vases that Define the UAE’s Three Distinct Stages of Development now on Tour around Region

The uniquely different stages of the UAE’s development form the artistic focus of a collection of vases that is currently touring around the region. Designed and produced by Sheikha Hind Al bint Majed Al Qassimi, proprietor of the Designed by Hind brand, the vessels are a personal interpretation of the three significant historical periods that have defined the progress of the country; pre-oil, oil and post-oil.

Titled ‘Is-Dher’, the collection of vases portrays the three epochs through the design and texture of each piece. The pre-oil era is symobolised with a raw and earthy coral effect, the wealth and affluence that followed the discovery of oil in the region is represented by a luxurious gold foil façade and the post-oil world, which is defined by technology and sustainability, is portrayed through a glossy metallic finish.

The Is-Dher collection was commissioned by The Odd Piece, a Dubai showroom that offers exclusive collections of sculptured and bespoke pieces, and is currently travelling around the region as part of a larger collection of artwork; the PostCraft Collection. Curated by Syrian-Spanish Designer, Samir Yamani, the PostCraft exhibition also features works by Maysam Al Nasser from Bahrain, Loula Al Radwan from Kuwait and the Gazzaz Brothers from Jeddah.

The PostCraft Collection was conceived by BD Barcelona Design and Barcelona-based arts organisation Creative Dialogue to celebrate Arab creativity. Following its launch at BD Barcelona Design’s London showroom in October last year, the PostCraft Collection exhibition is touring the GCC, taking in BD Barcelona Design establishments in Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait and Bahrain. Included with Sheikha Hind’s collection and those of the four other Arab designers are five remarkable pieces from Barcelona Design’s permanent collection of Salvador Dali, Antonio Gaudi and Jaime Hayon.

A UAE-based entrepreneur and founder of Designed by Hind, Sheikha Hind focuses on producing collections of bespoke crockery that has become of the region’s leading brands of porcelain. She is keen to explain her Is-Dher collection.

“The vase is a common object of decoration that is often used to represent the era in which it was produced. Through the Is-Dher collection I am aiming to summarise the history of our great nation. Each vase represents the main source of wealth that characterised each era; from coral and pearls to oil and then technology,” said Sheikha Hind.

“The vases represent the impact of each era on the other through the fluidity and transitional qualities of their texture. The distinct periods are represented by the different textures of each piece. A raw and earthy coral effect symbolises the time before oil was discovered; a luxurious gold foil façade bears testimony to the wealth and prosperity that came with its discovery and the post-oil world, driven by technology and sustainability, is shown through a glossy metallic finish. Each piece of work has journeyed through time and has a story to tell,” she added.

The PostCraft Collection featuring Sheikha Hind’s Is-Dher vases is currently being exhibited in Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait and Bahrain.