Take a moment to look up from this article and observe the space in which you’re reading it. You’ll likely be able to see some type of glass. From the window we look out of first thing in the morning, to the tumbler we drink from last thing at night, the clear material is abundant in our daily lives. Perhaps so much so that most of us take the role of glass in our lives for granted. Not artist Raghad AlAli, though.
Known for pushing the boundaries of glass manipulation, Raghad, through her design lab Whymsicals, creates artistic glass structures that challenge traditional perceptions of the material. Through her practice, she has carved a unique space in the GCC’s art scene, where experimental glasswork is still in its infancy.
Though you could say glass runs in her family (her father owns Sahara Glass, one of the UAE’s largest glass importers), Raghad’s interest in the material grew over time. “Glass has always been a part of our lives one way or another…but it was never really a material or a process that was particularly of attention to me,” she explains. “That was until I studied architecture and I took a painting class, where my first painting was kind of a glass jar.”
Through her studies, Raghad developed a deeper understanding of how glass interacts with light and form, though purely for functionality as opposed to creativity. Then, one day, she happened to encounter a sample of curved glass. “We’re so used to seeing glass in a very flat, static, orthogonal way as architects,” she explains. “When I saw a sample expressing depth, I was really curious.”
“I thought, ‘Wow, glass can actually express curvature… how do you do that?’” she recalls. It was this realisation that shattered her outdated conceptions about the material, leading her to experiment with glass as a dynamic, fluid medium. Her creative vision materialised in Whymsicals, a design studio that celebrates both architecture and art.
“Whymsicals really allows me to explore the playfulness of the material,” she shares. By crafting organically shaped pieces, the artist is defying traditional notions of glasswork. “People, in the beginning, find it difficult to understand that this is glass. I think that’s understandable because I’m really trying to push boundaries, and the fact that people don’t recognise the material immediately is part of the conversation I’m trying to have.”
Recently, Raghad was invited to showcase her pink and orange sculpture titled Nudi at the UAE Design Oasis at Maison&Objet in Paris. Talking about the natural shape of the piece, she says, “I’m fascinated with structures in nature. I extracted structural qualities from marine animals through biomimicry and translated them into self-structural glass pieces.”
This connection of nature extends beyond aesthetics. For Raghad, glass represents more than just a material. It showcases natural transformation. “The life cycle of glass is very circular – you can see a direct ‘Cradle to Cradle’ process,” she notes. “It has innate qualities of sustainability, which is why I feel comfortable experimenting with it as a material.”
That’s not to say it’s easy – glass, as we all know, is extremely fragile. “Glass is a difficult material to manipulate,” says the artist. “A lot of my work is about experimenting, repeating the process multiple times to get something closer to my vision. Every project is a challenge, either a technical or conceptual one, where I try to connect my research on nature with my experimentation in glass.”
This constant exploration is what keeps her work evolving, pushing her to find new ways to redefine notions about the material. And while Raghad’s work is gaining traction in the Middle East, she acknowledges that experimental glass art is still developing in the region. “The reception in Paris was really rewarding, because I met artists and architects with a background in glass who reflected on my work with profound criticism,” she says.
Going forward, Raghad’s pieces will become available to people who fall in love with her quirky glass designs. “I imagine Whymsicals as both a space for experimental art projects and a collection of glass furniture and products available for consumers. The combination of both supports the work – work-commission-based projects push the boundaries, while accessible designs make glass art more widely available.” Through this dual approach and working alongside her father at Sahara Glass, she hopes to cultivate a deeper appreciation for glass as an artistic and architectural medium in the region.
By embracing experimentation, Raghad has positioned herself as a pioneer in a field that is just starting to grow in the Middle East. People who meet the artist will see that her passion is palpable. And with such a unique artistic offering, made using a material others may be afraid to work with, the creative is helping to break the ceiling of narratives around glass design, in the UAE and beyond.
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