We met with designer Shamsa Alabbar ahead of the launch of her first fine jewelry line at Symphony Boutique in the Dubai Mall. Producing her jewelry with gold and diamonds, Alabbar has merged her passions for Arab culture and graphic design. The UAE national is on a mission to create a strong visual identity that is not confined by the boundaries of jewelry making but is rather a language of art and exchange. Here, she shares with Style.com/Arabia her design philosophy and aspirations for the future.
ON THE BIRTH OF A FINE JEWELRY COLLECTION
Originally, I was thinking in 3D. I wanted to see how my designs, from the initial sketching stage, could turn into something real. I do like to see my work in a wearable or visible form, like furniture and accessories; but for now, it is jewelry.
It all started as a birthday gift idea for my best friend, Alia. I wanted to get her something sentimental, something that would stay forever, so I thought about jewelry. And then I thought, why not design it myself? I began playing around with letters and shapes—her whole name. I got all the Arabic scripts out to remind me of the rules of calligraphy; I didn’t want to veer outside of these rules because I really respect Arabic calligraphy even though I wanted to do something new.
ON FINDING BEAUTY IN UNUSUAL PLACES
I wanted to do something really modern, really original, and very edgy. I wanted something that’s not readable at all. I get a lot of comments, like if someone orders their name it’s supposed to look like shapes that are together, to ultimately form something beautiful. There is no legibility in anything in my collection—it’s just the overall beauty of it that is intended to be communicated. I try to look at things that people really don’t pay attention to—or that they pay attention to, but use in a cliché way. For example, name necklaces are really cliché right now so I try to take them and form them in a new way to a point that they are not even readable; they just look really cool and beautiful.
ON ARABIC TYPE
I know that Arabic typography is usually used as a font in print, but I want to promote it as an art form. The Arabic language is something really important to me and is an integral part of who I am. Usually when I get clients for my Arabic work and they ask for something in English, like a logo, I really don’t have fun at all. I get more creative with Arabic; it is so beautiful.
ON ABSTRACT DESIGN
A lot of people will not get the idea at first, and this is what I am a bit scared of. I was wearing my jewelry yesterday and people asked, “What’s this?” They don’t really understand until I explain it, but one thing I do want to do is educate. People will send their name for design but then say, “We want to change it. Can you make it more clear?” But I really study and create each letter on its own to fit; and in the future, I want the designs to be even more complicated, more abstract, and more unusual.
ON BEING A DESIGNER. FULL STOP.
I feel like people don’t understand graphic design. It has no limits. It can be a piece of art, or it can be a piece of furniture… so when people come to me and say, “Oh you’re a jewelry designer?” My answer is, “No, I am a designer. Full stop.” I can be whatever I want. Since I know graphic design, I can be a jewelry designer, a furniture designer—anything. And that is what I want to promote: that a graphic designer can be anything.
