The Art of Collaboration: David Webb and Bouthayna Al Muftah

by Maryam Al Beshri

A spotlight of a creative partnership between Qatar and the US.

This partnership was sparked after Al Muftah’s exhibition Um Il Salasil Wil Thahab that took place in Qatar at the Riwaq Gallery, held in 2014-2015.

It celebrates Qatari women and their culturally rooted relationship with thahab, gold in Arabic. Al Muftah draws inspiration from this jewelry’s materials and craftsmanship--only worn on occasion today--and these paintings represent an unseen beauty. The name of the series is derived from a popular cultural folk song still heard today. The emphasis is that jewelry of the past is part of Arab culture and heritage and shouldn‘t be forgotten. We have seen a shift in the way jewelers collaborate; in merging ideas and cultures, they can create unique and surprising showcases. Co-creating is a brilliant way to tell an interesting story that allows creative designers to have enriching experiences and bring a creative flair to the jewelry design world. Simultaneously, the designer gains cross-cultural exposure and increased visibility. Once such cross-cultural collaboration took place between jewelry brand David Webb and Qatari artist Bouthayna Al Muftah.

David Webb is an iconic and high-end luxury jewelry brand founded in New York City in 1948. The distinctive pieces from this brand have redefined fine jewelry in recent years. In 2019, the brands’ designers formed a partnership with artist Bouthayna Al Muftah. Through her production of mixed media installations, Al Muftah illustrates Arab heritage and folklore through printmaking, typography, and drawing.

The artist-designer collaboration was first revealed in Doha in 2019. American fine jewelry house David Webb of New York celebrated its sixth year of participation at the Doha Jewelry & Watches Exhibition. At this exhibition, several one-of-akind pieces from Webb’s prestigious Madison Avenue boutique were displayed alongside two of Muftah’s artworks. The partnership has endured ever since.

At the 2020 Doha Jewelry & Watches Exhibition, the collaboration between the American jewelry designers and the Qatari artist continued. During the exhibition, both parties unveiled two new pieces. Bouthayna’s monochromatic portraits with black and white face contrasted sharply with Webb’s colorful jewelry pieces.

Additionally, Webb’s booth featured a series of short videos detailing Bouthayna’s process in creating her works. An exclusive shopping bag was also created for this exhibition. It was branded in Bouthayna’s depiction of Webb’s beloved Monkey Brooch and Crescent necklace. Each bag was calligraphed with "David Webb Doha" in Arabic along with Bouthayna’s signature.