Nada Debs launches WA Collective with the Traces ceramic collection by Lina Shamma

Beirut-born design studio Nada Debs introduces the WA Collective, a new platform dedicated to ‘contemporary craftsmanship, cultural exchange and creative collaboration’, launched at the Nada Debs Boutique in Alserkal Avenue, Dubai. “WA Collective reflects Nada Debs’ long-standing belief in craft as a universal language capable of connecting people,” the project's press release reads.

WA means ‘and’ in Arabic and ‘harmony’ in Japanese, reflecting the platform’s ambition to foster dialogue among creative voices and different cultures and materials. Rooted in ideas of duality, the WA Collective brings together distinct practices while allowing each contemporary artist and designer to keep their individual language and skills at the forefront. “The collective functions as a curated gallery of handcrafted works that transcend discipline and scale…Based on ideas of duality, WA seeks to foster meaningful conversations around works of the hand while creating greater visibility for artisans and designers,” the release reads.

"The WA Collective was born from years of travel and encounters with artisans and designers whose practices carry stories of place, culture and identity. Through this platform, I hope to create meaningful exchanges that celebrate craftsmanship not as something static, but as something living and continually evolving,” says the Lebanese designer.

The collective launches with Traces, a ceramic collection by Beirut-based ceramicist Lina Shamma, developed in dialogue with Debs. “Created in dialogue with Nada, the collection unfolds as a series of matte vases and bowls carrying traces of Uzbekistan's architectural heritage. The decals applied to each surface originate from photographs Lina took of Islamic architecture, mosaics and arabesque tile work throughout Uzbekistan, images drawn from a tradition of symmetry and order, then deliberately scattered and repositioned off-grid,” the press release explains.

Each ceramic design is individually hand-built or wheel-thrown, making every vessel unique in both form and surface. “Being part of the WA Collective felt like a natural extension of my conversations with Nada. Through this collection, I was able to explore the relationship between Nada’s intricate geometric language and my own intuitive approach to ceramics, allowing the work to exist somewhere between discipline and spontaneity,” Shamma relays.

The WA Collective will continue to unfold through a hand-picked selection of works by contemporary makers and designers from around the world. Each will be introduced through individual launches that foreground the story, process and dialogue behind the work. “Through this evolving platform, Nada Debs reinforces her commitment to craftsmanship, cultural discourse and the evolving role of the human hand in contemporary life,” the release mentions.