Artisans from Mexico and Middle East collaborate on new works
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Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology currently displays artworks born from a collaboration between Mexican artisans and designers from Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and India.
The exhibition results from the Crafting Design Futures program, a Design Doha residency that brought international designers to workshops in Michoacán, Jalisco, and Mexico City. Designers and artisans worked together, combining traditional techniques with contemporary design ideas.
In Jalisco, Iranian designer Yasamin Shaikhi and Estudio Guerrero created a ceramic vessel inspired by Nasrid pottery from medieval Muslim Spain, reflecting both Qatari and Mexican motifs. In Xochimilco, near Mexico City, Syrian designer Kenan Alkuwatly partnered with pepita artist José Cruz to reinterpret a 1,000-year-old floral design from the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, integrating it into the traditional dot-pattern craft.
Further collaborations occurred in Michoacán, where Lebanese designer Shirine Sbaiti worked with ceramists Norberto and Rosi, and British-Indian designer Armaan Bansal teamed up with copper artisan Alan Pureco. These partnerships, part of Qatar’s Years of Culture initiative, aim to strengthen ties between nations through cultural exchange. The exhibition in Mexico City runs until November 1, with future events planned in Doha including a culinary demonstration by chef Elena Reygadas.
