Atelier Khaled El Mays is a multidisciplinary design studio based in Beirut which focuses on furniture design, interior architecture and graphics.
On the basis of the practice Khaled el mays there is a strong community awareness and their works are produced with a variety of local artisans in the valley of Bekaa.
After studying architecture in Pratt, Khaled el mays returned to his Beirut native to concentrate on building furniture with a soul: pieces imbued with unexpected touches, the tactile beauty of natural materials such as wicker and the hand of the artisans of the valley of Beqah that influenced him.
Source: Elle decor
During Design Week Milan, the designer transcended with the transformation de Nilufar Depot in a jungle environment that houses 12 new pieces that come to life with organic forms and narrative flourishes, and in turn, form a spectacular hybrid of nature and artifice.
"I'm pushing for human-powered design in a world that's becoming more and more virtual," he says. Khaled ElMays, founder of Atelier Khaled ElMays. "I am looking for a way for them to coexist and interact."
After getting a MFA in digital art at Pratt Institute en NY, The Mays returned to Lebanon and turned his attention to designing soulful furniture that brings craftsmanship to the fore.
The studio divides its energies between the two sides of manufacturing, both of which put the community first.
Work with local artisans in the valley of Bekaa allows traditional businesses to grow or maintain their structures and parts evolve organically between the artisans and the designer.
The second aspect ensures that the designs are formally processed in the most luxurious way, using only the best materials and suppliers available.
Working closely with artisans in the east of the Lebanon and Mexico City, uses natural materials to create pieces of texture.
The whole design exercise is about finding that balance between traditional craftsmanship and innovation... It's a subtle process, and that's what we aspire to with every release.
The process is profoundly organic with a predilection for natural materials such as wicker, leather and thread.
In his work, the shapes are very abstract and romantic, as El Mays wanted to convey the complicated shapes and large proportions with just a few elements.
His sofas and a couple of armchairs are made of voluminous, fluffy cushions, sometimes joined at sharp angles that evoke the bent limbs of a crouching figure. The pieces appear to lean forward, as if they are already in a state of transformation.
clap is the name of the family to which this suspension lamp made of brass, wood, bamboo and metal belongs. Source: Elle decor