Cultivating talent across the Middle East, jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels’ Emergent Designer Prize in partnership with UAE-based incubator Tashkeel helps the region’s creatives bring their visions to life. 2024 marked the competition’s tenth anniversary, and now, a landmark exhibition at Tashkeel’s newly renovated Nad Al Sheba gallery in Dubai, celebrates the winning designs across the past editions.
Since its inception in 2013, the Emergent Designer Prize has spotlighted both the creative diversity embedded in the Middle East and its ingenuity: Themes that are both culturally resonant and close to the Maison's values and creative directions have been brought to life in unexpected designs that marry traditional craft with exploratory making and contemporary perspectives. “By launching the Prize, we set out, in partnership with Van Cleef & Arpels, to create a meaningful platform for emerging designers in the Middle East – one that would not only spotlight their talent but also provide them with the mentorship and visibility to grow,” says Karam Hoar, the marketing & communications manager at Tashkeel. “Through fostering research, and critical making, it has cultivated a robust design ecosystem that celebrates identity and reimagines tradition.” And over the years, the winning designs have captured the growing confidence of the regional design sector, too.
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Van Cleef & Arpels’ Emergent Designer Prize exhibition at Tashkeel (open to the public until 3rd June) traces this creative journey across its ten editions: from 2013 winner Salem Al Mansoori's sculptural objects and Ranim Orouk's 3D-printed lamps that stole the show in 2016, to Aezad Muzaffar Alam's rattan and wood chair inspired by desert flora (2020), 2021 winner Neda Salmanpour's lamp that captured the flutter of butterfly wings in sculptured stone and Moufida Mohideen's playful bookshelf that won in 2022. The showcase also sets up future applicants – and indeed, the wider design community in the GCC – to explore and create beyond the obvious.
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A key reason to attend the Van Cleef & Arpels’ Emergent Designer Prize exhibition is to experience the 10th edition designs, including the winning concept – Dhow Kite by Abu Dhabi-based designer Hajar Al Tenaiji – for the first time in public. It embodies Inspiring Winds, the theme of last year’s competition, which reflects the resonance of wind in desert lands, where languages and dialects have numerous terms for the myriad movements of air across land and sea. The theme for the prize changes annually, lending each year’s creations freshness and relevance.
Al Tenaiji’s kite was inspired by the Emirati tradition of sailing dhows, both as a sport and in industries such as pearl diving. The designer describes her piece as “a functional, joyful object that pays homage to the enduring power of the wind, which has shaped our nation for centuries. I envisioned it as a symbol of the UAE’s maritime heritage: the kite’s ability to soar through the air, guided by the wind, reflects the resilience and innovation of our ancestors.”
Made from wood and Japanese paper, the kite is not just a toy, but also a symbol and a tool: Al Tenaiji intends it to inspire change, inviting children to connect with their heritage through sustainable design. “In today’s digital age, children spend a significant amount of time indoors, playing video games - the Dhow Kite offers a compelling alternative, encouraging them to venture outdoors and engage with nature,” she says.
Dhow Kite is on show alongside the two runner-up entries: the Breezeborn reclaimed-wood console by UAE-based Sudanese interior designer Lamies Yayha, which mimics the textures of windswept sand dunes; and the No Beginning chandelier in recycled cork and sand by Muscat-based Iranian designer Khaled Al Kathir, which evokes wind-eroded stone and the earth tones of mountain landscapes.
The prize – which in 2024 was supported by AD Middle East and awarded by a jury including AD100 designers Aline Asmar d’Amman, Shaikha Al-Sulaiti and Abdalla AlMulla alongside curator Rana Beiruti and Talib Choudhry, AD Middle East’s Head of Editorial Content – rewards winners and runners-up with a five-day course at L’ECOLE, School of Jewelry Arts in Dubai; the winner also benefits from a five-day trip to Paris to develop their skills at the maison’s French campus, which is dedicated to passing on savoir-faire and craftsmanship in jewellery design. Thus, the prize contributes to nurturing the next generation of talent in the Middle East.
“Through the Emergent Designer Prize, Van Cleef & Arpels and Tashkeel are looking to create a lasting impact within the creative community by helping designers turn their ideas into impactful contributions to the world of design,” says Hoar. “The Prize is an embodiment of our shared mission of giving back to the creative community by encouraging dialogue, supporting education thanks to L’ECOLE School of Jewelry Arts in Dubai and contributing to long-term cultural exchange.”
Van Cleef & Arpels has just announced the theme for the Emergent Designer Prize 2025 – Blooming Poetry – and AD Middle East is proud to return as the key supporter for this year's edition. Subscribe to the AD newsletter to stay updated on the Van Cleef & Arpels’ Emergent Designer Prize 2025.
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