CityPages Kuwait June 2016 Issue June 2016 | Page 18

Please tell us a little about yourself:
My name is Faisal AlAli and I am a Kuwaiti furniture, graphic and interior designer.
Tell us about your education:
My background is mechanical and petroleum engineering.
How and when did your passion for art begin?
It started when I was 8 years old with hand crafting, encouraged by my dad. Then I
started learning Arabic calligraphy when I was 16.
When did you seriously start your creative career?
In 2005, when I moved with my family to a new flat. I did the whole interior job then.
After that, I took a job for my relative then expanded my business. In 2010 I came up
with a new idea which was to make my own local brand of furniture. I started with a
digital art painting line then moved to other furnishings like cushions, side table, trays
etc.
When did you launch your showroom?
December 2015.
How would you describe the kind of art that you do?
It’s a contemporary art with an Arabic touch.
What is your most favourite source of inspiration?
I get inspired from everything around me.
Can you tell us more about your furniture designs?
I use a patchwork style and mix it with Arabic calligraphy.
Have you done any local or international collaborations?
Yes, a local collaboration with designer Mohammed Dashti. We did 3D recycled paintings
What are your other hobbies besides art and design?
I am interested in listening to music and watching movies.
You do very interesting Arabic calligraphy. How did you become interested
in it? What is unique about it?
I have been a calligrapher since I was 16 years old. Besides that, Arabic calligraphy gives
a unique touch to any art piece.
What is the most challenging project you’ve ever undertaken and how did
it change you?
Abyat Collection. I had to make a special collection with 4 categories; each category had
at least 4 paintings due in one month.
The challenge with the Abyat contract was that here I was competing with myself. I had
to do painting different to what I had already done, and exclusively for them. This was a
challenge as it was during the time I was also working on my new collection. Sometimes,
I would create a piece and like it very much and thought of keeping it for my own

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JUNE, 2016