Working with crafts in displacement carries a significant responsibility. It's essential to thoroughly understand the intricacies of the practice.
Urban workshops, Amman, 2018. Photos by Mohammed Zakaria for Turquoise MountainCraftsmanship is valued as a stable and lucrative career, particularly in Syria (before the war). Although more challenging in Jordan, artisans who arrived to Jordan from Syria in 2011/12 remain committed to their craft.
There's a deep sense of pride within the artisan community, driving their passion and aspirations to expand their businesses locally.
Basket weaving, Jerash, 2020. Photo by Hussam Hasan for Turquoise MountainTurquoise Mountain's portfolio initially featured urban crafts such as woodmaking and metalworking, which require heavy machinery and proximity to supplies. In subsequent years, we turned our attention to home-based crafts such as basketweaving, typically practiced by rural women. This aimed to help artisans connect with new markets and sustain their livelihoods through their craft.
I set up and ran the design, production, and sales department at Turquoise Mountain in Jordan from 2017 till 2021. I led research to identify master artisans who were displaced from Syria after the 2011 war. My team worked on developing hundreds of items spanning a wide variety of crafts, including silversmithing, stonework, woodwork, metalwork, basket weaving, and calligraphy, among others. We designed, prototyped, conducted quality control, and batch-produced alongside the artisans, and mainly equipped the showroom, based in the heart of Amman, with new products regularly. We designed small objects for the home, as well as custom-made furniture.
From this experience, I developed strong relationships with artisans in Jordan, and gained invaluable knowledge in local craft practices. I also gained insight into managing and running a showroom, including experience in inventory and customer management.
The showroom kept on evolving, and including products we designed with the artisans across many craft disciplines. Our team focused on creating furniture pieces that would fit contemporary interiors in addition to small decorative and functional objects.
Showroom shots, 2020. Photos by Hussam Hasan for Turquoise Mountain
Product images, 2019-2021. Photos by Hussam Hasan for Turquoise MountainAside from designing and working with the artisans to make the collections, my team also conducted monthly product photography sessions to document the items and featured them on our webshop.
