Art Dubai: Take Two

I wanted to share with you some of the beautiful art work I got to see at Art Dubai a couple of weeks ago. 

Also, one of my favourites was a piece called "Well" by Abbas Akhavan. "Well" is part of Akhavan's ongoing research on domestic spaces and the power relations inherent in hospitality. In this piece, stacks of dishes placed, where the original water well was at House 44 (Al-Bastakiya), are converted to a fountain, though relaxing, references domestic work.

New In Stock!

We just received these beautiful and fun Tie Back Tee and Leggings in our stock. This lovely collection is designed with a conscious from reclaimed fabrics in grey marl, mint green, and coral pinks.

To view all available color combinations, please go to: 

The Yard - Clothing

Addicted to Art

With time, I have found myself diving deeper and deeper into the world of art and being continuously fascinated by it. This year, I had the opportunity to visit one of the largest art exhibitions organized in the region - Art Dubai 2011.

The 5th annual Art Dubai is taking place in Madinat Jumeira from March 15-19, where the space has been transformed into a 'vast museum of artwork'. Over 500 artists representing 81 galleries and from 34 countries come together to share their creativity with one another and the public. In addition to the artwork, forums and workshops are also scheduled to take place throughout the four days of the event. To view the complete schedule of events, click here. 

Although Art Dubai is commercial,  the organized workshops make it educational, and forums inspirational. Art Dubai gives visitors the chance to attend talks, be part of discussions, purchase affordable art, see installations, and take an 'Art Bus' tour around Dubai. 

I think this is more than enough to know that anyone who has even a slight interest in art should not miss out on such a grand event. Art Dubai only gets bigger and better with each year, so if you were unable to attend this year, you will, without a doubt, have something finer to look forward to next year!

Get Your Groove On!

Its challenging enough finding new and unique designs for women, let alone men. However, yesterday I came across something for guys that I found to be truly creative and original - neckties made from recorded audio cassette tapes! This durable 'sonic fabric' is the invention of artist Alyce Santoro, made from 50% cassette tape and 50% colored polyester thread. The fabric is woven in New Englad, and a limited number of accessories are hand sewn by designer, Julio Cesar in Manhattan. The ties look sleek, funky and are without a doubt, one of a kind! 

I also found these really cool hand-made tie bar pistols, which are cast in solid brass using a vintage 1950's mold. Seems like the creativity in clothing and accessories for guys has been underestimated! 

New at The Yard, "Mag in a Bag" Clutch!

The "MAG IN A BAG" Clutch is ECO-CHIC and is made with biodegradable and 

recyclable material. Just tear off your favourite magazine cover and slide it into the specially designed pocket. For an extra charge, you may request a customized magazine cover with your personal images. Available for purchase at The Yard.

Typographic Beauty

One aspect of graphic design that I have a passion for is typography. I love the way you can play around with letters and experiment with different arrangements to make up a design. The number of fonts available today are endless and surprisingly, new designs continue to pop up on daily basis. This being said, not all fonts can be used for text, and some are simply aesthetically pleasing. I came across a beautifully designed typeface called Arcano, by Resistenza (Giuseppe Salerno).  The font was designed by hand, over the span of four months using Chinese ink on Japanese calligraphy paper. Something remarkable about art is that inspiration can come from just about anything and everything. In this case, Salerno claims that inspiration for the type came from nature, symbols, icons, jewels, and hand-drawn designs. 

Below is an image of a typeface experiment I did while taking a portfolio course at Central Saint Martins, London. I never went beyond designing the first part of the alphabet but hopefully one day I'll go back to it and complete the rest of the letters and symbols to make up my very own typeface.

For those who share an interest for typography - check out our Typography Playing Cards available for sale online.