VARUSSI - Samreen Junaid Wani and Owais Asif KhanDubai Design Week has revealed the five creative practices selected for Abwab 2026, its annual commissioning programme, returning from November 3 to 8 at Dubai Design District (d3). This year’s edition, titled In Other Words, brings together Dalia Rafeh, Grace Shieh, Kanaka Raghavan, UBIK and VARUSSI in an exploration of how language extends beyond words to shape memory, identity and human connection.
For the first time, Abwab moves away from its traditional individual pavilions to present a curated indoor group exhibition. Through light, textiles, typography, paper and architecture, the participating artists and designers examine how meaning is communicated, inherited and reinterpreted.
Dalia Rafeh
Grace ShiehDalia Rafeh presents Shhhhhhhh, a striking seven-metre installation of red light inspired by the Arabic letter ش and its association with silence. Drawing on familiar signage, the work transforms a simple call for quiet into an invitation to reflect and listen. Writer and visual artist Grace Shieh explores the emotional language of materials in A library of paper memories, combining handmade paper, poetry and experimental writing to reveal how texture and form can preserve personal stories.
Kanaka Raghavan
UBIKDubai-based designer Kanaka Raghavan challenges Western typographic conventions through Cheent Devanagari, transforming traditional Indian letterforms into layered textile installations inspired by block printing. India-based conceptual artist UBIK introduces Non/Sense, an experimental work exploring translation, mistranslation and the transformation of written language into abstract visual structures.
Meanwhile, Dubai-based architecture and research practice VARUSSI (on cover), founded by Owais Asif Khan and Samreen Junaid Wani, presents Taleem. Drawing on the traditional coded instructions used in Kashmiri carpet and shawl weaving, the installation transforms inherited craftsmanship into an architectural experience visitors can physically enter.
Established in 2015, Abwab, meaning “doors” in Arabic, has supported more than 180 designers across Asia and Africa. This latest edition continues its mission of connecting regional creative practices with international audiences while celebrating the many ways design can communicate beyond language. Abwab 2026 runs from November 3 to 8 at Dubai Design District, with free admission and curator-led walkthroughs.
