DUBAI: The day after the August 4 explosion, we immediately started working on the renovation of the studio. It was a crazy week of cleansing and I felt so responsible. I know there are a lot of designers but I was one of the first that started in Lebanon. I feel like I’ve paved the way for a lot of young designers. If I don’t stand up and show that we’re strong, it’s not going to reflect well. It was a calling, like I had to do it.
Debs kept aside some of the broken glass and decided to make a collection called “Keeping it Together.” (Supplied)
We kept aside some of the broken glass and we decided to make a collection called “Keeping it Together,” because we needed to keep it together — both emotionally and mentally. We were very aware of other designers who were criticized for using glass. First of all, I think they did it too early in the game. We were still very sensitive to the situation. Secondly, I think the way they communicated it was probably not the correct way. In our case, we were really hesitant. We decided to sell it only on the condition that all the proceeds can be used to support the crafting industry in Lebanon.
We’ve worked a lot with resin from 15 years ago and we gathered so much glass. That’s the memory of what we have from the blast — the sound of glass. I thought ‘Let’s try to take the glass, put it in resin, and see how it looks.’ We were using resin to bring the glass together, which is kind of like upcycling. So instead of melting the glass and using up a lot more energy, we can actually just bring these glass pieces together and create a functional object.
Debs’ latest work was showcased in May at the Menart Fair in Paris. (Supplied)
It’s a very complicated process. We first had to create a mold with a piece of wood that looked like the bowl. We had to make it into silicon and then we had to pour the glass and the resign together very slowly in steps. If we did it too fast, the resin could have cracked. It wasn’t easy to create.
It’s about turning pain into hope. What we experienced was painful, but then when you put it together, it just gives you hope. We can reconnect, reuse, recycle and stand on our feet again.
