Born in 1980 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Khalid Alshafar’s journey from a business graduate of the American University in Dubai to a celebrated designer is a testament to his passion for design. Initially working in marketing and communication for almost seven years, Khalid’s interest in the creative field led him to complete a degree in Fine Arts in Interior Design in 2005. Further honing his skills, he specialized in Furniture & Objects design at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London and the Centre for Fine Woodworking in Nelson, New Zealand. In 2011, he opened his own studio in Dubai, establishing a showcase space in the Ras Al Khor Industrial area the following year. His career is marked by significant international collaborations with renowned entities such as LASVIT, Tai Ping, the Campana Brothers, and the American Hardwood Export Council, among others, contributing to special projects and limited edition releases.

Khalid Alshafar’s design philosophy transcends conventional boundaries, merging art and design through the expression and aesthetics of objects. He views design not merely as an aesthetic pursuit but as a functional and practical discipline, with creativity at its core. Khalid believes that while art conveys individual expressions, design serves as both a problem solver and an enhancer, focusing on the functionality and practicality of objects. His ethos of combining creativity, functionality, and practicality is reflected in his unique designs, which have made a significant impact in the design world. This philosophy has guided his artistic contributions, including a site-specific art installation for the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum, showcasing his ability to blend artistic expression with practical design solutions.

“THE NOMAD 2.0

The realm of Art & Design meets at the expression and aesthetic of the object rather than its process. While Art translates the individual’s expressions through a specific format, Design acts sometimes as a problem solver and in others as an enhancer. It is there to put things in particular functions. Design doesn’t only focus on the aesthetic side of an object; it studies the functionality and practicality of it. A good design for me is a design that combines my ethos: Creativity, Functionality, and Practicality.

‘THE NOMAD 2.0’ is a new version of the travelling khalid shafar installation ‘THE NOMAD’ that first landed in London in 2015. This version recreates the original installation concept using light to construct and complete the full design. Visitors will enjoy a lighting performance that demonstrates the constructions of the full incubator where they gather. Visitors will experience the feeling of space inclusion being in a caged area while still feeling the freedom and lightness of the space being transparent and open. These contradicting feelings are created using colored laser rays to shape THE NOMAD 2.0 outer shell that creates a social space for visitors to gather and socialize; hence the original purpose for the nomad installation concept. Light plays a key role here by injecting life to the design and creating a space that influences people’s energy and interactions.”