Incollect Magazine - Issue 9

24 www.incollect.com of semi-precious stones — lapis lazuli, amazonite, onyx, and malachite — and marble stones utilizing traditional stone inlay craft techniques. The combination of the minimal forms, vibrant colors, and rigorous geometric patterning results in a contemporary, playful look and feel — almost resembling a puzzle or paint-by-numbers in stone. The series is attributed as a collaboration between Nada Debs and Studio Lél as a sign of respect and acknowledgment of the artistry of the stonemasons in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Debs was fortunate to find a sympathetic collaborator for the Gandhara Carapace Collection in Meher Asad, a graduate of the Pratt Institute in New York and artistic director of Studio Lél, which, Asad explains, “is committed to preserving and reinterpreting the art of Himalayan stone inlay.” "Very few designers have reinterpreted craft for the contemporary audience the way Nada has,” says Asad, “I can relate to her journey as a female designer." At the studio, Debs worked with the skilled craftsman, as well as “hands-on” scheming with all of the beautiful marbles and stones. “It's really an intricate craft that only a master craftsman can do," Debs says. Everything that Debs produces is based on this one same philosophy: Through a process of respectful collaboration, she wants to draw attention to the rich history of fine craftsmanship in the Middle East while at the same time reinterpreting and reimagining these age-old processes, techniques, and materials to encourage new thinking or ideas about how people and cultures can adapt and grow. It is a message that has found resonance beyond the region: rave reviews from the design world greeted Saint-Laurent’s showings of the Gandhara Carapace Collection at PAD Paris and also Design Miami in 2023 as well as, the same year, “Rebellious Connections,” a solo show organized by Saint- Laurent for her gallery in Paris. “She has so deeply experienced the aesthetic visions of different countries,” explains Saint-Laurent, who admires how Debs bridges cultures and eras, negotiating conflict and differences across borders and languages. But what most impresses Saint-Laurent is the way Debs enhances ancestral crafts through a contemporary perspective. “For Nada, as well as for me, design is not just about form and function. We also believe in objects that weave connections, establishing a bond with both the viewer and the user. Her creations draw value from the lines, materials, and craftsmanship employed, as well as from their intangible sensitive and spiritual side. These are objects with a soul; they are, in this sense, true works of art.” Coming to Life Console, 2022. Solid oak, mother of pearl marquetry. In this table, the organic wood top retains its natural state, contrasting with the contemporary form of the sloping, spiral legs adorned with mother-of-pearl inlay.