Sacred geometry meets contemporary fashion in wooden mosaic dress

The marriage of ancient craft and contemporary vision has produced something quietly extraordinary: a dress constructed entirely from the techniques and materials of Syrian wood mosaic tradition, yet conceived as a gallery piece that speaks to our moment. Abdul Rahman Tabbanaj, whose family has long guarded the secrets of this intricate inlay work, stood at the centre of a collaboration that would reshape how such skills might be expressed.

Around five thousand individual pieces of mother of pearl have been assembled by hand into this singular garment, each fragment cut and positioned with the precision that generations of craftspeople have perfected. The work draws its visual language from the sacred geometry of the Alhambra, those transcendent patterns that have haunted the imagination of artists and architects for centuries. Here, they translate into something wearable, something that moves through space, catching light in ways that reveal new dimensions with each turn of the fabric.

This commission came through a collaboration with artist and fashion designer Karim Adduchi, whose vision extended the boundaries of what these traditional techniques might accomplish. Tabbanaj worked alongside his sons Mohammad and Abdo, joined by fellow Syrian artisans Moataz Hammoush, Bilal Fallaha, and Diaa’ Mosmos. Together they navigated unprecedented territory, translating the rigid geometry of inlaid wooden surfaces into the fluid, responsive form of a garment designed to be worn and experienced rather than viewed from a distance.

For these artisans, the commission represented something more profound than simply a fresh commission. It offered the possibility of stepping beyond the established vocabulary of their craft, of proving that the techniques refined over generations possessed an elasticity and relevance that extended far beyond their traditional contexts. The challenge was evident in every decision: how to maintain structural integrity whilst allowing the dress to move, how to preserve the spiritual geometry of the patterns whilst adapting them to the contours of the human form.

Abdul Rahman Tabbanaj reflected on the experience with evident wonder: “It was our first time creating a wood mosaic dress, particularly one with such depth in its concept and design. It was a challenge, but a beautiful one that opened up a new dimension for my craft.”

The dress now resides in the Escher in Het Paleis exhibition, where it speaks to a broader conversation about how heritage craft might remain vital and relevant. It exists as both artwork and ambassador, demonstrating that traditional skills need not be preserved in amber, but rather can evolve, can surprise, can move into spaces their makers might never have anticipated.

Imagery courtesy of Turquoise Mountain (@turquoisemountain).