Design Doha returns with Mexico edition of ‘Crafting Design Futures’ residency

Design Doha has revived its international residency program, Crafting Design Futures, introducing a Mexico edition as part of the Qatar-Mexico 2026 Year of Culture. The program unites four designers from the MENASA region with master artisans from Mexico. Over four months, the creators will collaborate in family-run workshops, learning age-old techniques such as ancestral engraving and hand-hammered copper craftsmanship.

The resulting creations will be showcased at Design Week Mexico's Visión y Tradición exhibition at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, from October 8 to November 1. The initiative, initiated by Design Week Mexico and Mexico Territorio Creativo, aims to connect contemporary designers with artisan communities across Mexico through research, collaboration, and cultural exchange.

Fahad Al Obaidly, Director of Design Doha, stated, "Our first residency with Morocco demonstrated that impactful design emerges when people collaborate and learn from one another. Through our partnership with Years of Culture, we are establishing a global network of designers and artisans who share knowledge, challenge perspectives, and form relationships that inspire future generations of design."

The selected collaborations span various mediums, including clay, engraving, ceramics, metalwork, and hand-hammered copper. Lebanese artist LimbObject, who works with human limbs as structural and aesthetic elements, is partnered with Norberto y Rosi, specializing in sgraffito and painted-clay techniques. Iranian designer Yasamin Shaikhi collaborates with Guadalajara's Estudio Guerrero, known for blending majolica-type ceramic with alpaca metal.

Lastly, Syrian designer Kenan Alkuwatly partners with master engraver José Cruz, focusing on pepita engraving and the memory held within objects.