DUBAI: Moufida Mohideen, 20, was announced as the winner of the Van Cleef & Arpels Middle East Emergent Designer Prize on Tuesday.
Mohideen, an interior architecture and design student at the University of Sharjah, won the award for her sculptural book stand, “Ascension,” which is inspired by desert rose crystal formations and seeks to symbolize everlasting growth.
Mohideen won the award for her sculptural book stand, “Ascension.” (Supplied)
The piece was designed with two locally sourced materials — damas wood and mother of pearl.
“It has been a very rewarding, roller-coaster ride,” Mohideen, who grew up in the UAE, said in a released statement. “This journey has allowed me to learn. I am still at university so it has given me a taste of what’s to come in my career.”
Established in 2013, the Van Cleef & Arpels Middle East Emergent Designer Prize is presented in partnership with UAE-based organization Tashkeel. It seeks to nurture emerging talent across the GCC and create global awareness by highlighting the region’s best designs.
The judging panel consisted of representatives from Van Cleef & Arpels and Tashkeel, as well as Saudi interior architect and design mentor Nawaf Nahar Al-Nassar.
This year’s theme, “Renewal,” aimed to reinforce the importance of sustainable approaches to creation, highlighting the use of materials that are sourced locally and in an ethical manner.