ORIENTATIONSSpecial Project

A collection designed by David/Nicolas

Iwan Maktabi is a leading carpet designing and manufacturing company engaged in the business since 1926, with presence in Lebanon and Dubai (The Dubai Mall).

Iwan Maktabi offers a variety of products that cover a wide spectrum of qualities and budgets. Hj. Hussein Maktabi, patriarch of the Maktabi family in Lebanon, immigrated from Isphahan to Beirut in 1926. Like his father before him, his passion was collecting fine oriental carpets. Since then, Hj. Hussein and his sons have undoubtedly become premier purveyors of antique and decorative carpets in the Middle East. They spread their services from Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to the Gulf area and from Zurich in Switzerland to the rest of Europe.

With the support of his father Abbas Maktabi, Mohamed Maktabi and his sisters, Mona and Chirine, opened the first Iwan Maktabi gallery in 1995. Based on three generations of expertise, and a rich family private collection of collectible carpets, Iwan Maktabi added to the depth of people’s appreciation for carpets in Lebanon and the region and proved to be the address for rare carpets and textile art in the Middle East.

To differentiate themselves from the market, Iwan Maktabi combined traditional art with modern contemporary art by introducing modern and contemporary high-quality handmade carpets, and exclusively representing different carpet firms and designers such as Jan Kath, Hechizoo and cc-tapis.

To stay ahead of the industry, Iwan Maktabi also edits limited edition carpets with the intervention of Middle Eastern designers, decorators, architects…

Some of these collaborations include: Nadine Kanso, Karen Chekerdjian, George Mohasseb, David/Nicolas and more!Iwan Maktabi also offers the ability to custom-design any carpet through their design studio.

ABOUT IWAN MAKTABI

David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussallem met at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts, where they both studied for a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design, going on to undertake Masters degrees at the Scuola Politecnica Di Design in Milan. They have established a global presence since they set up their studio, david/nicolas, in Beirut in 2011. Through their interdisciplinary approach to their retro-futurist design aesthetic, they have staged several exhibitions and collaborated with established international brands like Vista Alegre, CC-Tapis, Moooi, Vogue Italia. The pair work in a salon style studio environment and have fostered a creative space where their individual ways of creation can flourish and where critique is an indispensable part of their collaboration.Award:Since 2016, they are represented by Carpenters Workshop Gallery. Their solo exhibition “Supernova” was shown in both Paris and New York and is continuously expanding into a wide range of carefully crafted pieces.

ABOUT DAVID | NICOLAS

Limited edition collection.Change of size and color is permitted in the same edition.

90% pure silk with highlights of oxidised wool

362 x 271 cm

Orientations Northby David/Nicolas

Iwan Maktabi and David/Nicolas teaming up came out of a simple question:“Why don’t they make carpets like this anymore?”

During one of their visits to Iwan Maktabi’s Flagship store, the Lebanese design duo was awestruck at the sight of antique Zieglar and Agra carpets. What captivated them most is the textures of these carpets, the simplicity and elegance of their designs, and their rarity.After sketches, trials and errors, the Orientations collection was born.A vast field of hand-carded wool with three dimensional figures found in Oriental carpets and in common with the duo’s design language, reminiscent of constellations in the night sky. With a simple gaze, they’ll orient you North, South, East or West. The carpets are a mélange of ancient, contemporary and futuristic elements woven into timeless aesthetics!

oxidised wool and silk

309 x 257 cm

wool and silk highlights

307 x 254 cm

Orientations Southby David/Nicolas

Orientations Eastby David/Nicolas

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