Nada Debs
Artèpura
Nada Debs is a Lebanese designer who lives and works in Beirut. Her work spans from designing products and furniture to fashion and home furnishings, through art and craftsmanship, creating pieces with a strong emotional resonance. Raised in Japan, she studied design at the Rhode Island School of Design in the USA, and has spent long periods of time living and travelling around the world, finding connections between different cultures. She likes to define her approach as “handmade and heartfelt”. What connects her world together is the belief in design’s power to transcend time and boundaries, and to touch us on a primordial level. She describes her faith in craftsmanship as a sentiment that transcends geography, language and culture. Geometry is an important tool for Nada, representing complex philosophies through intricate and simple beauty. She uses materials to tell tactile stories, sometimes in pure and surprising forms, at other times with unexpected combinations and juxtapositions. In Gemmayze, Beirut, she leads a team of twenty designers who work together covering every field, engaging and connecting with outstanding suppliers and craftspeople to create multifaceted collections.
Artèpura is a Milanese atelier where artisans create wall art and decorative panelling the finest artisan techniques involving natural leather and other precious materials. Having notched up extensive experience in luxury leather goods within the family business, founder Pier Maurizio Pasini decided to transfer this expertise into interior decor, aiming to craft exclusive pieces. Their unique creations are showcased in the Palazzo Durini showroom in Milan: bespoke and exclusive projects for yacht interiors and elite residences. The atelier employs various techniques including matelassé, bas-reliefs, modular applications, inlays, and hand painting. Marbles, essences, and mother-of-pearl are utilized in addition to leathers, all contributing to scenographies of high aesthetic and material value, with a fully bespoke approach tailored to the most discerning customers.