File photo used for representation
Doha, Qatar: Liwan Design Studios and Labs is inviting the public to attend the upcoming Liwan Open Day to be held tomorrow, October 28 from 5pm to 9pm. This community-building event will explore some of the latest multidisciplinary design experiments and feature innovative research projects across Qatar, presented in Liwan.
On display will be the exhibition titled “Kitchen Comics,’” curated by artist Natasha Fernandes, the show features the work of 17 students from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts Qatar (VCUarts Qatar).
It explores the multiple notions of a kitchen and its ability to store more than just food— it showcases how kitchens can be sites of memory making, creativity, communing, sharing, tradition, experimentation, and change.
The exhibition hopes to be a testament to the power of design to capture the intangible cultural heritage of our kitchens through visual storytelling and comic narrative, emphasising research, making, collaboration, and cultural literacy.
Liwan Open Day offers an opportunity for the public to visit showcases curated by the local creative community and interact with interdisciplinary designers, creative business owners, and artists. One of these artists is Liwan resident and multi-award-winning Moroccan-Dutch fashion designer Mohamed Benchellal who has his latest couture exhibition opening at the National Museum of Qatar on November 1.
During the Open Day, Benchellal will discuss his upcoming exhibition at NMOQ that will showcase couture dresses designed and produced during his residency at Liwan. He will discuss the process of creating a groundbreaking collection inspired by Qatar and its landscape and integrating tradition and contemporary innovation. The exhibition aims to spotlight not only the designer and his creations but also Arab design, as well as regional support and collaboration. His studio will be open to visitors, and he will be present to comment on his work and experiences.
Aisha Bint Nasser Al Sowaidi, Director of Liwan Design Studios and Labs, said: “All our studios and creative spaces are open for visitors to see the great work being done at Liwan and we invite them to explore the multitude of interesting design work that is taking place here. With our members and residents in attendance, this is an opportunity for creatives across Qatar to come together to connect, exchange ideas, attend talks and workshops, showcase their work, and experiment with design.”
In addition to Benchellal’s studio, other open studios that visitors will be able to see include: Dunes and Dudungs or “DnD”, The Textile Studio, and Contrast in Clay. Dunes and Dudungs is a collaborative multidisciplinary design installation that explores the unique ecosystem specific to the Gulf region and the global concern of climate change.
This collaborative project will be featured at the 2025 London Design Biennial. The Textile Studio, a collaboration between Liwan and Heenat Salma Farm, will be led by Farideh Barani and it will specialise in weaving and sustainable textile practices. Finally, Contrast in Clay, a ceramics exhibition by Liwan member Morgane Lopez will explore notions of volume and space.
