“Nostalgic Flora”
by T SAKHI
TESSA: Flora Blade
“My biggest inspiration is in the wilderness of forests and my interaction with nature that combines my passion for flora and scents. I design floral compositions from the flowers and plants I gather in my daily encounters and create harmony and rhythm through their decaying state of graceful lines, vibrant colors and altered textures. My folding knife is my chosen object, a 19th century hand-crafted blade by local artisans in the majestic mountains of Jezzine in Lebanon. It is carved from bones with resin and brass inlays, in the shape of a Phoenix, symbol of resurrection and life after death.”
TARA: Nostalgia
“An intricate piece of design from the late 50’s, a Rolleiflex 2.8f analog camera. One single object designed to capture light at different intensities and allowing me to crystalize an infinite spectrum of emotions in my daily life, through the language of images. This object follows me everywhere I go, whether at home, whether in nature, while discovering cities, enabling me to materialize my way of life in Time.”
Tessa & Tara Sakhi
Based in Beirut, Lebanese-Polish sisters Tessa and Tara Sakhi co-founded in 2016, T SAKHI, a multidisciplinary architecture and design studio. In an increasingly fast paced world, the sister architects place human interaction at the core of their practice, and question our contemporary understandings of identity and living. They design both permanent and ephemeral spaces & objects, drawing from the emotional and physical experiences by incorporating all five senses and memory.
From modern residences, to portable nightclubs, readapted urban designs, or satiric dining installations, their synergetic projects are diverse, playful and interactive. They range from small-scale architecture, public and urban installations, commercial and residential design, collectible hand-made objects, scenography and film. Despite their versatile talents and contrasting affinities, the sisters combine their duality to create a hybrid occidental-oriental inspiration, and collaborate with creatives and artists from all over the world, provoking an exchange and dialogue to reach craftsmanship and innovation.
Their work have been exhibited in Beirut, Paris, Milan and Dubai Design Weeks and donated in Philips’ London Auction house in support of Lebanese talents and several NGO’s in Beirut supporting architecture, reforestation and sexual health. They have participated in lectures and talks in Dubai, Sharjah, Sydney and China. Their projects have been nominated for awards in China, Milan and Berlin, and have been highly published worldwide in magazines and online platforms.
