JEDDAH — Dar Al-Hekma College will be hosting ‘Identity,' a first-of-its-kind design symposium from Feb. 23 - Feb. 27. Twenty-one well-known international speakers, six of whom are Saudi origin, and 15 local industry experts in the fields of interior design, architecture, visual communication, and fashion will be delivering presentations, lectures, holding panel discussions, conducting workshops and inviting audience participation. The theme was inspired by the uniqueness and multiplicity of identity, how it defines and labels individuals and how it is universally viewed from different perspectives and disciplines. The Dar Al-Hekma design symposium hopes to enlighten students of the Kingdom about new ways of contemplating and using the identity that defines them as a means of self-expression. By sharing their stories of success, local speakers in the fields of design, such as Omar Ashour and Ghina Aseeri, famous Saudi Fashion designers, will be inspiring students on how heritage and modernity can be closely intertwined in design works. “Fashion designers of such remarkable rank are embodiments of successful Saudi designers which many of our students look up to. There is, indeed, a bright future awaiting our fashion graduates,” said Dina Kattan, fashion design program director at Dar Al-Hekma College. She also said that the London College of Fashion will also be presented at the event which will be honored by the presence of key personalities from the British Council in Jeddah. In the realm of architecture, the symposium will feature a well-known architect, Maan Bajnaid, motivated by heritage and its preservation. Along the line of distinguished international speakers are architects Mostafa El Sayed and Sara Saleh, who are working in Zaha Hadid's consultancy and Dr. Hazem Sabbagh from Diyar Consultants. Sumayyah Dabbagh will also be present alongside the Royal Institute of British Artists (RIBA). Dar Al Hekma will host the first exhibition of its students' work in Saudi Arabia. The symposium will also feature speakers in the field of Interior Design, such as Sami Nawar, a well-known engineer motivated by heritage and its preservation, and Abdul Aziz Azem, a Saudi national and founder of DTS Design Tech Services who trained as an architect and diversified into lighting. “This symposium's concept sheds light on the issues surrounding the Saudi identity and Heritage and what measures are being taken to preserve and enhance it. The discipline of Interior Design plays a critical role in this process,” said Oonagh Donnell, program director of Interior Design at Dar Al-Hekma. Speakers in the visual communication specialization will include Tarek Atrissi, founder of Atrissi Agency in the Netherlands, and New York-based graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister. A distinctive sponsor and speaker at the event will be Kameel Hawa, the famous Arabic typographer behind Al-Mohtaraf design house. The opening day will be inaugurated by Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi, president of Dar Al-Hekma. Entry will be by invitations. The symposium will be open for public on Feb. 26 - Feb.27 from 9:00am –– 4:00pm. Tickets worth SR250 can be purchased at the door. --Dar Al-Hikma students who will be given a special discount can purchase their ticket for SR300 for both days. — SG
