Owen Jones: Islamic Design, Discovery, Vision

THE NATIONAL
By Christopher Lloyd

From collection of architect and designer Owen Jones

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- In the mid-19th century, British design needed a shake-up. Rapid industrial growth had taken some of the beauty out of objects. A new language of design needed to be cobbled together - one that wasn't nostalgic or kitschy but could still bring a little of the sublime back into the day-to-day. At the helm of this curve was the architect and designer Owen Jones who helped assemble what is today the Victoria and Albert Museum's early collection of Islamic artefacts. The show demonstrates Jones's search for a visual language that would be keenly modern, innovate notions of decoration and keep functionality at its heart. Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation, until July 15 [link]