Rand Abdul Jabbar (BEDS’11) of Dubai, UAE had been listed as one of ten emerging talents in the Middle East and North Africa in Interior Design Magazine.

The online magazine features her FORMA chair. Shaped as a ship hull, the project seeks to shed light on the disappearing craft of traditional dhow building by using its procedural and material logic as a framework for furniture design.

Born in Baghdad, Rand’s current pursuits lie at the threshold between architecture, design and research. Abdul Jabbar’s work is process driven, enquiring into her surrounding environment as well as forces such as history and heritage that have shaped her own personal identity. After completing her BEDS degree at Dalhousie she received a Master of Architecture from the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University in 2014.