SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ‘81 DESIGNS’ PRESENTS A NEW COLLABORATIVE COLLECTION WITH MOROCCAN ARTIST BOUCHRA BOUDOUA TO BE UNVEILED AT ABU DHABI ART IN NOVEMBER 2022

‘Autumn Harvest’ by 81 Designs and Bouchra Boudoua conceives a fusion craft intertwining

homelands, history, heart, and soul into a collection that unifies people across geographical boundaries

UAE social enterprise 81 Designs and Moroccan artist Bouchra

Boudoua will unveil a new collaborative collection at Abu Dhabi Art that is set to take place from 16

to 20 November 2022 at Manarat Al Saadiyat. The annual fair is held under the patronage of His

Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive

Council and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office.

‘Autumn Harvest’ is a culmination of a seven-month project, ushering in a time to celebrate cultures

through earthen elements and sustainable materials, and polished with sophisticated Moroccan

pottery and Palestinian embroidery. Drawn into the therapeutic effect of pottery and ceramic’s

humble material that can transform into shapes, Bouchra adds her signature asymmetrical patterns

to the series of pots in the collection. The ceramics, ranging between 50 to 75 cm in height, were

transported from Marrakech to Ain El-Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon, where Palestinian refugee

women skilfully used the intricate Tatreez embroidery method to stitch raffia fibre from a palm tree

onto the surface -- pushing the boundaries of traditional crafts while keeping the essence of

handmade work that unifies geographies and humanity

Nadine Maalouf, Co-Founder of 81 Designs says: “We narrate the creative story of a time-honoured

tradition in hopes of preserving our Arab heritage. Through our partnerships, we're able to give

Palestinian refugee artisans stable employment and help them rebuild their lives. Working with

Bouchra Boudoua exemplifies both our commitment to community and the convergence of craft and

design, uncovering the art of Tatreez in a different light.”

Moroccan artist Bouchra Boudoua, recounts, “When I was contacted by Nadine Maalouf to work on

this project, I immediately said yes because I quickly sensed that 81 Designs shares similar craft

values and craft preservation endeavours as mine. My work would not be possible without the

magical work of the potters I work with here in Morocco. As such, a lot of what I do revolves around

collaborations as pieces are handled by several hands throughout the process. When I learned about

the work 81 Designs is doing with Tatreez, I was very keen on collaborating on my pieces in a similar

way. I was interested in creating ceramic pieces that would act as a sort of shared canvas.”

“The pots were created by a group of seven potters and assistants and myself with an aim to leave

space for pattern work in the form of Tatreez. I wanted to share a bit of what I do with these women

by inviting them to explore patterns through the art of Tatreez on my pots. Using clay as an

embroidery support meant a lot of careful planning and meticulous handling during the pottery-

making stages. It also meant that we would have to push the boundaries of Tatreez by exploding

cross stitches and working on different scales. The result of this 'Autumn Harvest’ is a series of

intricate, earthy coloured, ceramics created by a group of artisans in Morocco and embroidered by

Palestinian refugee artisans in Lebanon,” she continues.

The ‘Autumn Harvest’ collection delves into the revolutionary use of traditional crafts – pottery and

Tatreez embroidery – and reflects the desire to unite artists, artisans, makers, and designers to

weave together design, craft, art, and culture.