We Design Beirut kicked off this week, opening five once-abandoned landmarks to the public and transforming them into spaces for art rooted in themes of legacy, revival, and continuity. Bringing together artists and designers across generations and disciplines, the fair fosters a vibrant network of collaboration among artisans, students, architects, and educators. We asked five participating artists what it means to be part of We Design Beirut and how they chose what to present at the fair.
Jinan Jadayel exhibiting at Union Building
We Design Beirut, for me, represents the reason I returned to start my career in Lebanon after living in the UK. It’s so inspiring to be reminded and to experience the design scene in Lebanon; its craftspeople, artisans, designers, technicians and artists. Being a participant this year is a full circle moment for me; I remember rushing to attend the different panel talks and experience the different exhibitions last year, running from one venue to another after my 9 to 5. This edition, I am proud to be exhibiting at Rising with Purpose alongside talented designers under 30, who insist on producing and designing in Lebanon.
My product, the JINAN Beyrouth Barjees, is a reinterpretation of the traditional board game of the same name, as a modular jewlery storage solution that merges cultural heritage with contemporary function. Crafted in a choice of velvet or silk, the board includes removable straps that perfectly store your jewlery. The pins used to hold the fabric onto the frame are modeled after the pawns used to play the traditional game. The board can be displayed on a wall as an art object, or folded for travel. The design invites users to engage playfully and personally with their belongings.
Boutros Sawaya exhibiting at Abroyan Factory
Being part of We Design Beirut means a great deal to me. It’s a chance to share my passion for handmade glass and let people see the beauty that comes from working with fire, breath, and precision.
I chose to be present at the fair because it brings together artists and designers from different majors. I wanted visitors to witness the care and effort behind every piece I create. It’s not just about the final object, it’s about the process, the tradition, and the connection. This event allows us to exchange ideas, celebrate craftsmanship, and honour the value of handmade design in Lebanon.
Karine Letayf exhibiting at Villa Audi
Participating in We Design Beirut is a way to speak with the city that shaped me — to honour its beauty, its fragility, and its endless pulse of renewal.
My work draws from nature, mirroring my bond with Beirut; a landscape of strength and tenderness.
One piece carries the echoes of childhood and memory; the other reveals my present state, more fragile, more exposed.
Together, they stand in quiet dialogue, holding balance in transformation, and carrying the delicate grace of endurance and hope.
For me, We Design Beirut is more than an exhibition, it is a gesture of collective renewal. It gathers artists and designers who believe in the power of creation as a way to heal and rebuild.
Sleyman Haber exhibiting at Burj el Murr
As product designers, our work can take many forms: solving problems, adding value to what already exists, or simply creating for the sake of beauty. But sometimes, it becomes a way of telling a story. Through objects and materials, we can sound an alarm, deliver critique with irony, or expose what often goes unnoticed.
This edition of We Design Beirut, through the Design “in” Conflict exhibition, offered us the space to express what we didn’t even know was waiting to come out.
We all placed on our tables what we believed had to be said about times of conflict in the form of objects. When survival is the only thing on our minds, what do we truly value? What can be done to slightly improve our lives? And how can we fight the injustice this world can impose?
For my project, LifeStrap, it meant pushing back against the propaganda of our oppressors, narratives so fragile and absurd they collapsed under their own weight. The lies were so artificial that I could only respond with irony, turning laughter into a form of defiance. Because fighting does not always take place on the ground, our intellect and sarcasm can truly be a weapon.