Lebanon’s design community is thriving. From a wealth of incredible talent commanding attention at home and abroad, here is someone to keep an eye on.
Lebanese architect and designer Georges Mohasseb, founder of Wood&, talks about the beauty of working with wood to fashion one-of-a-kind furniture pieces that reflect the spirit of this ever-changing age.
Describing the Lebanese as “entrepreneurial, daring and dynamic, with a keen eye for taste and refinement,” it comes as no surprise that Mohasseb incorporates such characteristics into his creations. “I work with wood as it is a natural element which, after being processed, takes on a life of its own. The smell, rich texture and natural colors amplify the way every piece looks and feels,” he says.
Mohasseb’s work has garnered plenty of international recognition and awards over the past two decades, during which he has also spent time teaching design at various European and American academic institutions.
“Teaching is also a learning process about sharing thoughts and transmitting a savoir faire. One learns to listen to the students and strengthen one’s own approach toward design through research, reading, experimenting and prototyping,” he explains.
Mohasseb’s pieces are unique in design, a testament to his disdain for mass production and uniformity. Referring to the “absence of the presence,” his creations shift the focus away from the material and onto the shape and form of the objects themselves.
He reveals that his real inspiration is no longer limited by geography, rather expanded by feelings, emotions, attention to detail, the experiences of people and travel, which are as infinite as the creativity displayed in his work.
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