Zeinab Al Hashemi’s Hexalite is the centrepiece to the huge feast that is d3’s Design Week. This giant kaleidoscopic sculpture looks extraordinary in Dubai’s ubiquitous sunshine, and it also transforms after dark. Forged from 33 hollow shards of mirrored-steel and 1,145 Swarovski crystals, it plays with light from the surrounding buildings. The sculpture changes radically depending on the time of day and also your angle. It is fascinating to get up close to see all the detail involved. For me, it looks like a portal into another dimension and is entrancing.
Al Hashemi is no stranger to geometry and pioneering materials. Her signature piece of Emirati design, San’am can be seen in nearby Tashkeel pop-up Tanween for the week. Swarovski has been making crystals for over 120 years, becoming more involved with innovative smart technology of late.
* Dubai Design Week continues until Saturday in venues across the city: www.dubaidesignweek.ae
Anya Stafford is a guest writer for The Art Blog. She has been writing on arts and culture in the Middle East for three years. She's also worked and lectured on communications, arts and technology with the likes of Google and Goldsmiths University London. She is studying for an MFA in Media through the National College of Art and Design, she also holds an MSc in Interactive Digital Media from Trinity College, both from Dublin, Ireland. Find out more about her and read her work at www.anyastafford.com
