Being in the presence of Wafa Al Falahi conveys a fuller sense of the multidisciplinary designer more than any single exhibition could provide. She has an unbridled passion for the arts and her work resists categorisation, as she moves among the worlds of ceramics, drawing, interior design, and furniture making with considerable ease and aplomb. In her artistic universe, you’re in for an experience of slow-down, move-close looking and thinking.

Dressed in Bottega Veneta’s latest creations, Wafa shares her creative odyssey that comes from a place that’s both personal and profound. “I draw inspiration from the world around me, with my artworks and designs focusing on the experiences of women in the Middle East,” she says.

“My work reflects personal narratives and cultural contexts with the aim of evoking emotions and fostering connections. Hidden beneath its playful depictions are deeper meanings, which invite viewers to look beyond the surface and engage in thought-provoking conversations,” she adds.

Last year, Wafa acquired her Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design from the American University of Sharjah, where she was exposed to the vast and captivating realm of design—it was a genuine coup de foudre as it allowed her to merge her interest in various disciplines into one cohesive field.

“Initially, my passion leaned towards biology, but I found that design offered me the unique opportunity to integrate culture, history, and the sciences, which echo in the lines, textures and gestures of my creations,” she explains.

Sustainable material is a major preoccupation in Wafa’s cultural production, and ceramics in particular, which combine fine artisanship with mechanical ingenuity and operational delight. Her designs share a propulsive motion, with each one an expression of her desire to stretch the boundaries of what an object can look like.

“I utilise clay as my primary medium of expression. The idea is to capture fluidity and motion, transforming objects into living and breathing forms that interact with the world around them,” notes Wafa.

There’s a gut-level aesthetic allure associated with Wafa’s ceramic vases—no two pieces are the same and their organic design offers an interplay of clay, as well as glazing and firing techniques, emulating rising tides and the ripples they create in sand.

“They’re inherently one of a kind. The nature of my artistic process makes it impossible to replicate them, and the resulting pieces are unique with distinct personalities,” she states.

“Each artwork stands on its own as a singular creation, ensuring that those who possess one of my pieces have something exceptional and irreplaceable. The curves, grooves and bumps in the designs bear my imprint, emphasising craftsmanship that’s at the core of my work.”

Wafa also creates furniture pieces that offer a lesson in artisanal charm. Among the pièces de résistance is the Slip potter’s chair, which has been designed to extend comfort and support whilst using a pottery wheel.

Inspired by ceramicists who work at small studios in Fujairah, the chair features a cushioned seat that’s upholstered in synthetic leather, and a veneer-coated structure with an organic pattern, evoking the texture of clay. The storage space helps the chair swivel around freely when closed.