< PreviousMoon box by Christine Meyer-Eaglestone cme-art.co.uk Mata cabinet by Altreforme altreforme.com Nautilus rug by Atelier Fevrier atelierfevrier. com 20 Colour Block Playful pieces pack a bold visual punch RADAR/Trend Phorma tray by GioBagnara artemest.com Visioni rug by Patricia Urquiola for CC-Tapis cc-tapis.com Chachacha pouf by Houtique houtique.es The breakfast room at New Orleans hotel Maison de la Luz, decorated by Pamela Shamshiri BALMAIN SS20 Moon box by Christine Quarzo cupboard by Nathalie du Pasquier artemest. com Solar chair by Bohinc Studio bohincstudio.comEye of the Beholder There is a wonderful wonkiness to the work of French interior designer Pierre Yovanovitch, who has a way of using colour and texture to change the nature of architecturally sober spaces, and then fi lling them with curved, asymmetrical or abstract furniture. In Pierre Yovanovitch: Interior Architecture (Rizzoli, $65), we see 14 such projects, each with a short introduction revealing his voice and vision. While designer monographs often serve the egos of the subjects more than the reader, this one rises above most. Great decorators do not come along every day, so when they do, it is important to have a record of their work. – DAVID NICHOLLS RADAR/Books 21 P HOTO: STEPHEN KENT JOHNSON22 New Romance We’ve fallen for with wistfully pretty designs in wisteria-tinged tones RADAR/Trend Shaded blossom dessert plate by Luisa Beccaria artemest.com Pomegranate branch by Goosens Paris theinvisiblecol- lection.com Bronze serving spoon & fork by Osanna Visconti di Modrone 1stdibs.com VIII Bronze chaise longue by Kamini Ezralow for Orsi artmest.com Cloud lights by JMW Studio theinvisiblecollection.com Luisa Beccaria’s dreamy tableware collection for Artemest NINA RICCI SS20 Bronze serving Deco couture ottoman by Lorenza Bozzoli lorenzabozzoli. com Morosky blue screen by Porte Italia 1stdibs.comRENOWNED DESIGNER INDIA MAHDAVI has given the private apartment of de Gournay’s Paris showroom a charming makeover. She has re-envisaged the space around a new scenic design for the British bespoke wallpaper company called Abbãsi in the Sky, which references the Persian miniature paintings of 16th century artist Reza Abbãsi. Echoing the wallpaper design, the setting incorporates traditional Middle Eastern design elements, including embroidered velvet fl oor cushions for luxe lounging. degournay.com RADAR/Decorating 23 Stroke of Genius India Mahdavi’s latest design takes inspiration from Persian art Plucky Charm The Totems Across Time collection by New Dehli-based Klove Studio is statement lighting at its boldest, requiring a high dive into the decorating pool, not a meek toe-dip. Crafted entirely by hand in the company’s workshop, the large-scale metal-and-glass pendants are inspired by art deco lines and Native American motifs such as bows, bison horns and talismans. More than mere lighting, the jewel-toned pieces are a celebration of how civilisations have creatively and spiritually expressed themselves over time. Illuminating on many levels. klovestudio.com 24 RADAR/DesignSleeping Beauties A new book chronicles the most sumptuous bedrooms of all time T his decadent coff ee table book has the ultimate boudoir on its cover – a rich emerald four-poster bed, the bedtime equivalent of the oyster in Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. And inside, the pages of Bedtime: Inspirational Beds, Bedrooms and Boudoirs (Vendome, $60) abound with luxu- rious slumber spots. Find them oak-panelled beneath a decorative, coff ered ceiling, layered with a parrot-embroidered silk sheet in an Indian palace or as art deco as can be, in Virginia Courtauld’s highly stylised, Eltham Palace in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The bed is introduced in a series of para- doxes – ‘it’s where we feel at our most vulnera- ble and most secure’, ‘where we enter the world and where we depart it’ and ‘where political alliances are formed, where king- doms conquered, love cemented, and where drama unfolds’. It’s lovely to think of the bed as a place of possibilities rather than simply where we go to recharge. The author, Celia Forner, explains that, ‘in our bedrooms, we take leave of our daily woes. Far from the bustle of the kitchen, the socia- bility of the living room, or the indulgence of the dining room, this part of the home is reserved for intimacy, and dreaming’. The book channels the bedrooms of royalty (picture swoonsome English country estates and impossibly beautiful Russian palaces), art- ists and the glitterati. Revelling in the celebri- ties photographed on legendary Hollywood movie sets is a delight; Sophia Loren sat amidst a foil of pillows in 1964 epic Fall of the Roman Empire, is a standout. There are moments of startling modernity, too, such as the glass-walled bedroom of the iconic Lautner house in Beverly Hills. Our favourite? The dazzling blue-and-gold master suite of Palazzo Brandolini, the late American socialite Dodie Rosekrans’ home in Venice. Decorated by Tony Duquette and Hutton Wilkinson, it’s the stuff of dreams. – ANNABEL SAMPSON RADAR/Books 2526 RADAR/Agenda Must-see exhibitions in the Middle East and beyond EARTHLY WONDERS The latest addition to a range of learning centres run by Sharjah’s Environmental Protected Areas Authority, the Buhais Geology Park has opened its doors to eager eco-tourists. Framed by the soaring Jebel Buhais ridge, the park has an abundance of marine fossils dating back 65 million years. Five interconnected pods designed by Hopkins Architects (4) were inspired by fossilised sea urchins, and house exhibition areas, an immersive theatre and a café with panoramic views of the mountain range. Inside, interactive displays highlight the tectonic history of Sharjah’s mountains and sand dunes, while outside, a looping trail with raised viewing platforms meanders across natural rock formations and ancient burial grounds. Open daily from Wednesday to Monday, 9am to 7.30pm. RAK AND ROLL The Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival (RAKFAF) has returned for its eighth edition, transforming the historic 17th-century pearl fi shing town of Al Jazirah Al Hamra into an outdoor gallery. More than 100 artists from 33 countries are exhibiting their work during the festival, which runs until 31st March with a programme of must-see events. RAKFAF aims to emphasise the power of art and how it THE FANTASTIC FOUR can help society transcend diff erences and connect over shared experiences. Notable talents involved include Australian artist Lyn Naismith (2) and Emirati designers Azza Al Qubaisi and Nesa Al Shehhi. rakfi nearts.ae NEW YORK MINUTE UAE-based artist Farah Al Qasimi has debuted a brilliantly unconventional solo show in New York, splashing her photographs across 100 bus shelters in the city’s fi ve boroughs (3). Presented by the Public Art Fund and curated by Katerina Stathopoulou, Back And Forth Disco features Al Qasimi’s latest images, which capture the beauty of fl eeting moments amidst the chaos of New York City. Represented by The Third Line gallery in Dubai, Al Qasimi’s previous work has explored the eff ects of consumer culture on members of society, particularly women, with promises of beauty or self- improvement. Until 30 August, 2021. THE ART OF DRESSING Flavio Lucchini, the avant-garde art director and publisher of Vogue Italia and Casa Vogue in the 1960s and 70s, knows a thing or two about style. Having since become a celebrated sculptor, Lucchini is staging an exhibition exploring the ‘meaning of the dress’ at Oblong Contemporary Art Gallery in Dubai. Titled From Fashion to Art: The Vogue Lesson, the retrospective includes bronze, resin and steel sculptures, paintings, bas-reliefs (1), and digital-art, off ering both a visual account of the garments evolution over time, and commentary on its cultural and political signifi cance. Until 10 March. 3 2 4 1 WORDS: RIMA ALSAMMARAE, JUMANA ABDEL-RAZZAQFull Bloom The richness and depth of Hermès’ new Passifolia porcelain collection has to be seen to be believed. Transfering French artist Nathalie Rolland-Huckel’s lush drawings onto tableware pushed the maison’s savoir faire to the limit. Rolland-Huckel designed the 30 tropical-themed pieces in three weeks, but it took some 2000 hours to translate each delicate detail into 32 coloured enamels – the most ever used by Hermès. hermes.com RADAR/Wishlist 2728 RADAR/Talent Personal Best UAE-based studio The Line Concept creates cool, contemporary furniture that’s customisable. We’re calling it demi-bespokecommercial. From then on, it has sort of taken on a life of its own – it’s been very organic.” Identifying a gap for high-end, but aff ordable furniture, the pair now develop designs that fuse simple silhouettes with a mix of materials – think leather- inspired paint eff ects with marble, mirror and brass accents. “We release one collection every year to generate inspiration in terms of the shapes, fi nishing, materials and palettes that clients can look at,” Al Matrook explains. “Our prices are mid-ranged – a dining chair starts from around AED1,000 – and that is one of our strengths,” adds Dastaviz. In 2018, the duo launched its fi rst solo collection, Continuum, which featured artfully crafted tables and chairs in marbles, steel and hand-carved wood. Every piece of furniture in the collection creates a spectrum of possible shapes depending on the angle at which it is viewed. Last November, they unveiled the Arc collection at Downtown Design in Dubai. “The arch is one of the oldest elements of design, especially in the region,” says Al Matrook. “Every piece has a component of the arch, as a whole or segmented.” All the products are made in the studio’s workshop in the Al Quoz district of Dubai, and The Line Concept has worked on several commercial interiors for clients such as Emaar. The studio also provided the furniture for the OMA-designed Concrete building at Alserkal Avenue. In the future, however, both Al Matrook and Dastaviz want to continue building their customisable furniture concept. “What is really exciting about releasing a new collection is how it inspires our customers,” says Dastaviz. “Maybe 400 versions came out of our last range. No piece is ever the same.” thelineconcept.com – JUMANA ABDEL-RAZZAQ D esign duo Newsha Dastaviz and Dana Al Matrook have come a long way since fi rst launching an online furniture company in Dubai nearly three years ago. Born from playdate and school gate conversations, The Line Concept has evolved into a multifaceted design and production studio that creates tailor-made, contemporary furniture at a surprisingly accessible price point. It now boasts a strong Instagram following and an impressive portfolio of regional and international clients. “We fi rst met through our children,” says Al Matrook, “After doing a few interior design projects separately, we decided to toy around with the idea of doing something more Next >