At the Revelations International Biennial of Crafts and Creations in Paris, six Emirati artists from the House of Artisans are showcasing the UAE and its legacy. The House of Artisans and the UAE are participating in the biennial for the first time.
The cultural centre, which is located in Qasr Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi, and is run by the Abu Dhabi Department of Cultural and Tourism, was established with the goal of maintaining natural resource-based crafts.
The Ateliers d’Art de France, a federation representing thousands of professional craft workers and artists across France, founded the biennial in 2013.
The festival honors worldwide work of art while also encouraging cross-cultural conversation. This is the fifth edition of the biennial, which began on Thursday and will conclude on Sunday.
The House of Artisans is exhibiting pieces that reflect on the Emirati crafts’ cultural heritage, chronicling their development via a contemporary lens.
Salama Al Shamsi, director of Qasr Al Hosn and historical sites, says, “The exhibition features a selection of established and emerging designers from the UAE, who display commissioned pieces inspired by Al-Sadu, Khoos, Talli, maritime crafts and pottery, as well as the natural landscapes those crafts emerged from.”
She claims that keeping natural works alive encourages an eco-friendly art culture and sustainable artwork because the UAE is devoted to sustainable development goals.
The House of Artisans has also set up a booth at the biennial to showcase Emirati handicrafts and act as a meeting venue for possible collaborations.
The works are displayed in four different landscapes: desert, oasis, coast, and mountains. They investigate organic forms, oral histories, perfume-making, and creative applications of age-old weaving processes.