Latest news with #KarimElHayawan
CairoScene
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Welcome Home: Poltrona Frau's Cairo Debut at Villa Magenta
From gallery walls to storied furniture, the launch explores what 'home' really means. It's not every day that a 114-year-old villa in Heliopolis becomes the setting for a furniture launch. But then again, Poltrona Frau isn't just any brand—and Villa Magenta isn't just any venue. During Heliopolis Anniversary Week, Cairo's design community stepped through the doors of Villa Magenta to mark the arrival of Poltrona Frau in Egypt. The event—titled Welcome Home—was part launch, part exhibition, part reflection on what home really means. Curated by Design Point's Karim El Hayawan and Nehal Leheta, the experience unfolded across the layered rooms of the heritage villa, mixing design, art, and storytelling. At the centre of it all was the Poltrona Frau collection, staged across Villa Magenta's restored interiors in a way that felt less like a showroom and more like a living space in motion. Guests moved through settings where leather textures, subtle tones, and restrained forms didn't shout for attention—they just sat with it. The furniture, handcrafted in Italy and rooted in over a century of design heritage, was positioned not as a luxury statement but as a backdrop to lived-in moments. But this wasn't a typical launch. Alongside the furniture, Welcome Home layered in a series of art installations exploring the personal and emotional ties we each have to the spaces we inhabit. A short film played on loop, tracing fragments of memory, routine, and family. A gallery showcase brought together works from Motion Art Gallery, Picasso Gallery, Ubuntu, and TAM Gallery, all interpreting the concept of 'home' through the eyes of contemporary Egyptian artists. The artworks shared one thing in common: they invited guests to reflect on their own stories—creating an archive of perspectives shaped by nostalgia, change, and identity. Held during Heliopolis Anniversary Week—a city-wide initiative by the Heliopolis Heritage Foundation celebrating 120 years of the district's history—the event echoed the neighbourhood's layered identity. With its regal facade and restored interiors, Villa Magenta provided a setting that blended architectural legacy with contemporary design. It's also a reflection of founder Ramy Effat's wider vision: a space that brings together collectible design, art, and culture under one roof, offering something closer to a lifestyle gallery than a showroom. For Poltrona Frau, this event marks a new chapter in its international presence. Founded in 1912, the Italian brand has become known for its work across sectors, with custom interiors in places like the European Parliament and collaborations with brands like Ferrari and Bang & Olufsen. Bringing that legacy to Cairo emphasizes engagement with a different kind of audience—one that values craftsmanship, heritage, and emotional design in equal measure. The launch was supported by a group of local partners including Design Point, Le Baron, Kahhal Looms, Flower Bar, and Crave, with the Heliopolis Heritage Foundation acting as a cultural partner. Together, they helped position Welcome Home as a meaningful pause in the city's creative calendar. At a time when luxury often leans too far into spectacle, this was a softer kind of moment. A chance to reframe design not just as an aesthetic practice but as something rooted in memory, craft, and everyday experience. As guests trickled into the soft-lit rooms of the villa, that message was clear: home isn't a style. It's a feeling. And the best design doesn't impose one—it makes space for yours. Photo Credit: SceneHome
CairoScene
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Karim El Hayawan to Exhibit at Photo London's ‘Positions' Show
Karim El Hayawan to Exhibit at Photo London's 'Positions' Show This May, Photo London introduces a new section of its renowned photography fair titled 'Positions', aimed at giving unrepresented artists a platform on the international stage. Among the selected artists is Cairo-based visual artist and interior architect Karim El Hayawan, whose practice bridges photography and design. Collecting Stars - Sabah After founding Design Point Studio in 2002, El Hayawan pursued visual storytelling under the mentorship of Reuters photojournalist Alaa Abdel Naby. His work, often exploring the shared elements of human experience, draws on the idea of universal metaphors to connect audiences across cultural lines. Between Here & Elsewhere El Hayawan's inclusion in 'Positions' came about through a connection with arts patron Nora Al Kholi, and a curatorial collaboration with Maria Sukkar. They worked closely together to select works from two of El Hayawan's photo series: 'Collecting Stars' and 'Between Here & Elsewhere'. In 'Collecting Stars', El Hayawan captures the complex presence of iconic film figures in everyday life, as seen through his lens during a two-hour walk through Cairo's bustling Saturday market. The series meditates on the allure and ubiquity of movie stars. 'There's a tension in how these stars become objectified,' El Hayawan shares. 'Yet we still feel connected to them, still appreciate them. They're a part of what we love and who we are.' Collecting Stars - Hend Rostom El Hayawan's second series, 'Between Here & Elsewhere', is the result of a solo exhibition in collaboration with Art 74. It takes a documentary-poetic approach to a curious phenomenon: the presence of donated domestic rugs, casually laid across the interiors of Cairo's most iconic mosques. By recontextualising these rugs as visual subjects, El Hayawan constructs 'a triangular exchange between the artist, the anonymous rug-owner, and the viewer.' Through this layered dialogue, the rugs transcend their position as functional objects to become fragments of lived memory, aesthetic storytelling, and urban history. Between Here & Elsewhere 'This collection is an organic, continuous collage,' Al Hayawan notes. 'It carries a lot of energy. It's a reflection of how we live and create.' Through 'Positions', El Hayawan's work gains a new international platform, one that aligns with Photo London's mission to reimagine the boundaries of contemporary photography.
CairoScene
04-03-2025
- Business
- CairoScene
Dream Space: A Selection of Designer-Curated Spaces at Your Fingertips
Dream Space: A Selection of Designer-Curated Spaces at Your Fingertips Furnishing a home should feel exciting, not overwhelming. But too often, it turns into a never-ending search - browsing countless stores, struggling to match pieces, and second-guessing every choice. What if there was a way to skip the stress and step straight into a beautifully designed space that's already put together for you? Shouldn't great design always be within reach? ValU is introducing its lowest interest rate ever for Dream Spaces. A built-in financial calculator helps break it all down, making it easier than ever to plan your payments, stick to your budget, and bring your dream space to life - without the financial guesswork. 'With this platform, we're offering homeowners and designers the ability to access curated, premium-quality interiors without the hassle of sourcing individual pieces,' Karim El Hayawan, Co-founder and Head of Strategy at The Mob Collective, tells SceneHome. 'Every design package is carefully curated by our team, ensuring not only aesthetic harmony but also functionality and comfort.' For Dream Space, ValU is offering its lowest interest rate ever - making designer-curated interiors more accessible than ever before. Now, transforming your space doesn't have to come with financial stress. Whether you're styling a cozy living room in the city or creating a serene, sun-soaked bedroom in Sahel, Dream Space brings a diverse range of thoughtfully designed interiors, all ready to explore and make your own. 'One of the primary obstacles to achieving the ideal design aesthetic is spending a substantial amount of cash up front. Valu enables you to distribute the cost of your purchase over up to 60 months, making premium quality furniture selections and purchases more accessible,' Motaz Lotfy, Senior Director of Business Development and Partnerships at Valu, says. 'This collaboration with Valu and The Mob Collective allows us to extend our services beyond the exhibition space and into the e-commerce market, offering customers a seamless online experience to access premium home solutions year-round,' Ahmed Tarek, Co-CEO and Partner of Tarek Nour Group, the organizers of Le Marché, adds. At its core, Dream Spaces is built on a simple belief: that well-designed interiors shouldn't be exclusive. Just like Le Marché gathers the best in furniture under one roof, Dream Spaces takes it a step further, offering a seamless way to furnish your home without the endless back-and-forth. No more decision fatigue, no more compromises - just beautifully crafted spaces, ready when you are. Photography Credit: Dream Space
