A highlight at this year’s edition of PAD London was the colourful group of totemic textile sculptures by Bokja, presented by Smogallery, Beirut.
Bokja, a design and craft studio, was founded in 2000 by Huda Baroudi and Maria Hibri out of a shared love of furniture and fabric. The pieces on view at PAD London belong to the ‘Women’ series, which celebrates the greatness of women and includes sculptures such as ‘The Warrior’, ‘The Guardian’ and ‘The Seductress’. Each Bokja ‘woman’ is ‘a display of feminine sensitivity while commanding attention with their stature and strength.’ Essentially towers of stackable poufs, there is a functional aspect to the works, which are meant to play a part in spontaneous social gatherings.
Bokja’s designs are made by hand through the combined effort of artisans, carpenters and designers. The ‘Women’ series employs vintage textiles, recycled fabric, beads, embroideries as well as metal elements. Each sculpture exists in a limited edition of 12. PAD London took place on 15-19 October 2014, see more textile highlights here.
