Cover image courtesy of Sami Haven
Not everything should be thrown out. Most materials can be upcycled and revived in unexpected forms. That is what all the following designers share.
Ziadat for Recycling creates furniture and home accessories using secondhand materials. The fusion of upcycling and aesthetic is at the core of the business, which provides unique pieces that are both beautiful and practical. Ziadat considers the discarded pieces to be Jordan’s heritage—and therefore deserving of a second life.
Through Auto-Art, Abdulrahman Asfour creates pieces for automotive enthusiasts. Using car scraps and motorcycle parts, he designs exotic automotive furniture and accessories that can be used at home, in the garden, or at the office. Asfour’s work gives life to the used car parts, which are upcycled and given new meaning when combined with different materials.
Ahmad Jallouk reshapes and transforms old, broken bottles and glasses into unique pieces of art. In his installation, Jallouk takes discarded glass objects—ranging from bottles to light bulbs—and delicately alters and edits them to give them new life, form, and function. The installation demonstrates Jallouk’s ability to transform mundane and discarded objects into items of environmental value.
This installation was conceived by Sahel Al Hiyari.
Known for its traditional authenticity, Badr Adduja is a leading name in upcycled furniture, home accessories, clothing and jewelry creations. Established in 1999 by founder and designer May Khoury, Badr Adduja strives to revive Jordanian heritage while also developing and promoting it. Cultivating the talents of over 60 craftspeople, Badr Adduja aims to revitalize traditional handicrafts for a modern lifestyle, creating new concepts with a traditional touch.
{Kees Chic} is a fashion brand and a social enterprise that produces urban handmade products out of plastic bags via local, marginalized artisans for the niche market in MENA region. After attending an Earth Day conference, Diana Rayyan shifted her awareness to the damage that plastic bags cause through {Kees Chic} in 2013. Creating products like bean bags, yoga mats, clutches and laptop cushions, {Kees Chic} strives to reduce plastic bag waste and lessen female unemployment while designing chic products.
