Capsule Arts at Downtown Design: A Curated Collection of Regional Artistry

At Downtown Design Riyadh 2025, Capsule Arts presented a refined exhibition that brought together storytelling, craftsmanship, and cultural identity. The highlight was the launch of the Capsule Collection — a series of sculptural vases inspired by traditional Arab vessels and regional textile techniques. Handmade in Dubai using terracotta and stoneware clay, the vases balance soft, glazed finishes with raw textures. Each piece is paired with a handcrafted rope embellishment referencing elements like Al-Qatt Al-Asiri, Najdi doors, Sadu weaving, and the bisht and agal — offering a subtle yet powerful expression of Saudi heritage.

Alongside the collection, Capsule Arts curated works by regional artists whose practices blend heritage and contemporary design through craft, form, and cultural storytelling. Riyadh-based Dr. Saad AlHowede explores the concept of post-memory — how cultural identity is passed down through generations. His conceptual installations examine how we archive and interpret heritage, drawing from his academic background in art philosophy.

Sarei Emad, a Saudi-Syrian multidisciplinary artist, presented Najdi Motifs — 21 ceramic plates reinterpreting traditional Najdi architectural patterns. His work transforms familiar forms into visual narratives, connecting personal nostalgia with collective cultural memory.

The Indian design studio Orikrit, founded by Deepti and Ayush Jain, offered a fresh take on structure and softness with Lattice — a woven bamboo form inspired by smocking techniques. Their approach to origami design using unconventional materials merges craft and sculpture in a strikingly modern way. Also on display were rope-based textile pieces that added a tactile layer to the booth — bold, patterned works that echoed the region’s weaving traditions and geometric design language, reinforcing the show’s theme of cultural reinterpretation through material.

Also featured was a rope-based textile artwork by Jovana Maksoudian, drawing on carpet-making and Islamic geometry to explore cross-cultural identity through bold texture and pattern.

Together, the Capsule Collection and featured artworks told a cohesive story of tradition reimagined. Through form, texture, and meaning, Capsule Arts reaffirmed its role in shaping spaces that are rooted in heritage while speaking to today’s evolving design sensibilities.