We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative May Khoury ("MK").

Winner of both Gold & Silver A Design Awards 2013-2014 in the category of Arts & Crafts. Winner of the Silver A Design Award 2012-2013 in the category Arts & Crafts .Nominated for Prime Designer of the year 2013 by a member of the International Designers Association • More than 18 years dynamically helping Arab Artisans attain financial liberty, encouraging the employment of their traditional skills, into attractive contemporary handicrafts. • A worldwide promoter of the richness of the Arabian heritage, utilizing it's aged beauty as a fresh characteristic, to adorn modern furnishings and home accessories. • A conservationist with a mission to help preserve the traditional facets of Arabian crafting skills, from fading away. Participated in The Beirut Art Fair 19-22nd, 2013• Participated in several international handicraft festivals, where my creations were introduced to Arab and European countries, as part of the Mediterranean handicraft promotion. • Expressed my own vision on heritage preservation, through the holding of several fashion shows in Jordan & abroad. - Won the 2nd Laureate of the UNESCO crafts prize for the Arab states, held in Algeria in 2002, for the design of a unique wooden chair, carved and decorated with Traditional Palestinian intricate embroidery and motifs. - Member of International Women Forum, Jordan Branch - Member of the Jordanian Forum for Business & Professional Women, networking to enhance, develop and empower business women in Jordan. - Member of the world Crafts Council. - Member of Alhoush Network.which is the premier cultural networking and e-commerce portal to contemporary art and design from the Arab world. http://alhoush.com/may-mikhail-khoury

May Khoury Designs

We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by May Khoury.

Designer Interview of May Khoury:

DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?

MK : I was born & grew up in the city of Ramallah, Palestine, surrounded by friends & family, who were proud of their rich heritage & culture. As a result I developed a passion towards our heritage & traditional crafts & started a small collection. I developed an eye for arts & crafts & was offered to be the director of the Jordan Crafts Center. Through working with more than 30 artisans, I started designing, without any design background,& found myself there . After four years namely 1999,I opened my own company , designing furniture, home accessories , clothing & now jewelry as well. Iam a designer with a mission of reviving our Heritage developing it & promoting it nationally & internationally in the concept of Up cycling I cannot think of any other profession that I would want to be, except a designer, although never planned it.

DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?

MK : , Badr Adduja; meaning "The Full Moon at Night"is the brand name of my Arts & Crafts center.Inaugurated in 1999 by Her Royal Highness Princess Muna Al-Hussein , is a signature of novel crafts charged with traditional authenticity, handmade with my personal ideas of one of piece. Badr Adduja has been cultivating the talents of over 60 artisans & craftspeople insuring them a stability of income while sustaining their craftsmenship skills towards preserving the richness of Arabian Folk and Heritage. Badr Adduja Brand Trends: - Representing heritage pieces in new perspective that tackles our memories. - Utilizing our old handicrafts aesthetically to blend within our modern life style. - Creating new concepts that have a touch & a signature of our tradition. - Email: badr_adduja@yahoo.com -www.badr-adduja.com.jo -00962795526924

DI: What is "design" for you?

MK : Design is creating a functional art piece, that emphasizes our old heritage pieces, upgrades their values within a new modern perspective,& has a story to tell

DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?

MK : I like to design furniture for homes & public places with a mission to revive & define our heritage, & ladies attire using the same concept of upcycling.

DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?

MK : My most favourite design is a single Chair , the back of which is an old Wheat Thresher Wooden Board & the seat ia an upholstered old beduin rug. This creation was displayed in an exhibition sponsored by UNSCO in Milan, & the piece was purchased by the interior designers of Designer Roberto Cavalli.

DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?

MK : A coffe table & a sidelamp

DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?

MK : My favourite material is my collection of old crafts(wood, brass, textile, embroidary, straw silver rugs) incorporated with wood & glass.

DI: When do you feel the most creative?

MK : I feel most creative,whenever I come through a beautiful,old, artistic piece of Heritage that attracts my eye. Immediately I start developing a design around it.

DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?

MK : I focus on proportions, practicality, color & function.

DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?

MK : Happiness, satisfaction belonging & nostalgia

DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?

MK : Iam mostly thrilled & passionate when I finish designing a piece that gets appreciated by my clients & visitors.

DI: What makes a design successful?

MK : A design is successful if it is unique, functional & has a story behind it.

DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?

MK : I consider the originality, the mission, the functionality & the concept

DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?

MK : I personally have a mission & vision behind my work as a designer. It is reviving & defining our heritage, through the creation of art pieces using the concept of up cycling & environment friendly, We participated this year in a seminar & exhibition called Go Green since we follow the concept of upcycling

DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?

MK : I always have new designs in my show room & I advertise about them to my customers & the local society .My last show was taking part in' The Amman Design Week' (2nd-9th September 2016,sponsored by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdallah of Jordan

DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?

MK : My collection of old crafts namely, wood, textile, brass & embroidary are my main inspirations. I have so much passion towards what I do, that I continue doing it & it gives me a lot of satisfaction in my life. It is mainly what keeps me energetic, young & full of life.

DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?

MK : I follow three trends when designing:Representing heritage pieces in new perspective that tackles our memories. - Utilizing our old handicrafts aesthetically to blend within our modern life style. - Creating new concepts that have a touch & a signature of our traditionAll my creations follow the concept of Up cycling.

DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?

MK : I live in Amman, Jordan. Definitely the rich cultural heritage has affected my designs & is emphasized through my creations. A good percentage of Jordanians appreciate my designs,but the western guests & residents are mainly my clients & the comments I get always from them is "This is a museum & not a gallery " & that my gallery & creations should be displayed in the Art & Design capitals of the World

DI: How do you work with companies?

MK : I have designed art pieces of furniture for the suites of a Big 5 Stars hotel in Dubai, as well as the wall pieces for The Suites of The New Fairmont Hotel in Amman Jordan. I also designed & executed all the wall pieces for the 11th & 12th New Renovated Floors of The LandMark Hotel in Amman. Besides that I designed & produced the whole interior of a restaurant that belongs to our family called" VINTAGE". I incorporated old pieces in my designs & displayed a lot of my creations there. The restaurant became a real attraction for its exclusive design & it is the talk of town. with small wall accessories, I suggest a design, do a sample with the cost then agree according to Volume on last price, conditions of payment & time span for delivery.

DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?

MK : A good designer is someone who can translate the needs of any client, through artistic functional & practical designs that will add something special & unique & make a statement The choice of a designer by the client should not be according to the degrees received but rather to the originality of the design.

DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?

MK : Iam the person who designs everything & since a year I have employed an assistant designer who helps me put together all my ideas & follows up with resourcing of whatever new material we need for our creations. I also have another employee who is talented with his hands & executes for me the last small touches of any creation in house . I should mention that all my designs are commissioned & produced by local artisans in their own workshops with my supervision & material

DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?

MK : 1-A console with a suzanni2- A coffe table with arabisque design3-A stool upholstered with an old rug4-A wall hanging which is a patchwork from 35 old embroidered palestinian dresses5- A mirror with a stone like frame & old textile.

DI: Can you describe a day in your life?

MK : I wake up early, drink my coffe then walk for half an hour. During my daily walk I think of new creations & try to focus on them. By ten oclock I get to my office where I start my day of work meeting artisans & antique dealers as well as following up by phone or visits with all artisans whom I work with. I try to attend as many art & design exhibitions that take place in my home town & outside the country as well as other cultural activities

DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?

MK : Having a mission & a vision behind your design is very important.You have to have the eye, the passion, the perseverance & confidence that you can make it.

DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?

MK : Designing art pieces is a pleasure to me & Iam getting lots of appreciation locally & internationally on these designs Iam most disappointed when my designs are not produced exactly to my expectations & have to send them back again & again.Also with the current Economic situation all over the world, Art is an Accessory rather than a necessity & there are lots of ups & downs concerning sale & financial gain.

DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?

MK : Golden rule in design is originality , practicality & a Fair Price

DI: What skills are most important for a designer?

MK : As far as Iam concerned , you have to have the passion,be gifted with an eye for art & design & the rest follows. I personally have not studied design at all & Iam doing a great job, according to my customers & the whole community.

DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?

MK : I don't have any tools. I start with the old piece of craft & then I get inspired to continue my design without using any tools myself. Very simple standard tools of carpentry are used by the artisans who produce my designs.

DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?

MK : It really doesn't take me much time to design . When I formulate my idea, I immediately call the artisan to explain the concept & the operation starts.

DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?

MK : one day-one week

DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?

MK : Have you studied design or is it a passion & interest.

DI: What was your most important job experience?

MK : Furnishing & designing "Vintage Restaurant" was my most important experience . It was the first project for me where I created the concept myself & did it all as well.

DI: Who are some of your clients?

MK : Hotels, embassies, cultural places , interior designers, locals, Foreign communities in Jordan & guests of Jordan.

DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?

MK : Frankly I enjoy all my designs as each of them is unique & one-off.

DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?

MK : I would like to go outside Jordan & work internationally as a designer.

DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?

MK : I create my designs by myself with some help & ideas from an assistant designer whom I only employed a year ago, but then I comission certain artisans to produce them with my continuous supervision

DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?

MK : Yes, Iam preparing new creations of furniture & Home Accessories as I will be participating in The First Jordan Home Expo (24-26 November 2016)

DI: How can people contact you?

MK : My contact details aremay@badr-adduja.com.jobadr_adduja@yahoo.com mobile 00962795526924, www.badr-adduja.com.jo

DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?

MK : Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdallah of Jordan has awarded me for putting Jordan on the map of International Designers & recognized my efforts after receiving Two Silver & one Gold Award from A Design Award & Competition, Como Italy