Multi-disciplinary artist Nadine Kanso has just unveiled a new jewellery collection.
Showing at Dubai's Bayt Damas for a limited time, the collaborative pieces are the latest from her jewellery line, Bil Arabi. With an array of colourful cocktail rings and gold pendants, all are built around Bil Arabi's core aim, which is to celebrate the best of Arabic culture and heritage. Even the name translates as "In Arabic".
Making what it dubs "modern heirlooms", Bil Arabi uses Arabic calligraphy supersized to encase entire fingers, or run across knuckles, in gold and precious stones. Words such as "hobb" or love, appear in white gold and are dusted with white or black diamonds.
The latest collection is a glamorous and colourful new take, using yellow gold, malachite, amethyst and diamonds.
With the savoir faire Bil Arabi is known for, the Arabic script now runs around the outer contour of the ring, in concentric circles of yellow gold that act to frame colour combinations, including the dappled pale blue of larimar and ruby red. Elsewhere, the same gold lettering becomes tiny heart-shaped caged pendants.
When Bil Arabi launched in 2006, it sparked a continuing fascination in Arabic calligraphy in jewellery.
Bayt Damas is the concept store by Damas, that brings together jewellery, art and fashion under one roof. It also houses a library and a cafe, and offers intimate exhibitions of work, as well as showcasing Damas' own one-of-a-kind creations.
Opened in May 2021, it named the Lebanese-Tunisian star Nadine Nassib Njeim as its brand ambassador.