Ranim Orouk has won a top design prize at Design Days Dubai, a major fair which gets under way tomorrow in Dubai, UAE.

Orouk won 2106 ‘Middle East Emergent Designer Prize’ for her work ‘Glow’, a marine-inspired lighting fixture which doubles up as a floor lamp or chandelier.

The prize is sponsored by French jewellery house Van Van Cleef & Arpels, one of the sponsors of the collectibles fair.

The runner-up title was awarded to Michael Rice’s ceramic design inspired by DNA helix and sand ripples.

Oropuk’s winning piece will be showcased at Van Cleef & Arpels’s booth at the fair, which runs from March 14 to 18 at The Venue, Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard in Downtown Dubai as part of the 2016 Art Week festival.

“We would like to thank the designers Marta Krivosheek, Michael Rice and Anjali Srinivasan for their unique ideas and creativity which truly represents the prevalent talent throughout the region,” says Alessandro Maffi, Managing Director Van Cleef & Arpels Middle East & India. “After yet another successful edition of the prize, Van Cleef & Arpels, along with collaborators Tashkeel and Design Days Dubai, will continue to encourage and provide opportunities for designers here to produce and present their work on an international stage.”

Rice, who specializes in ceramics, is an Associate Professor of Studio Art at the American University of Dubai, and was announced as runner up with his crystal bowl inspired by a spectrum of natural spiral forms of similar concepts found in shells, DNA helix and sand ripples.

Orouk’s winning design which responded to the theme of nature for the 2016 instalment of the prize, was inspired by the effervescence of a school of jellyfish.

With a dual function as a ceiling chandelier or floor lamp, ‘Glow’ takes the form and function from the sea creature combining the production methods of traditional glassblowing and advanced digital fabrication of 3D printing. Spheres made of 3D printed glass are fused using curved acrylic rods that mimic the form of jellyfish legs. Once lit, the transmission of light throughout the piece emphasizes the radiance emitted from a bloom of jellyfish.

“I am so honored that Glow was selected at the design for this year’s Middle East Emergent Designer Prize,” says Orouk. “This prize provides encouragement and support for designers, and I am proud that the design sector here in the UAE provides such opportunities. I’d like to thank Design Days Dubai and Tashkeel and very much look forward to visiting L’ECOLE Van Cleef & Arpels in Paris for what will be a truly amazing experience.”

Founded in 1906 Van Cleef & Arpels has become a worldwide reference through its unique designs, its choice of exceptional stones and its virtuoso craftsmanship, offering jewels and timepieces that tell stories and bring enchantment to life.

Tashkeel is a contemporary art organisation based in Dubai. It currently runs up to three residencies a year, along with 6 residencies in conjunction with partner entities - Delfina Foundation London, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and Art Dubai, the organisers of Art Week.

Tashkeel’s exhibition space accommodates up to six main projects a year, as well as a series of small-scale events.

Now in its fifth edition, Design Days Dubai is the Middle East and South Asia’s only collectible design fair, presenting over 250 limited edition modern and contemporary design pieces from over 45 of the world’s established and emerging galleries and design talent, alongside a public programme of special projects, talks, workshops and guided tours.

A pillar event of Art Week, Design Days Dubai enjoys the partnership of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, Van Cleef & Arpels, Audi, and Emaar.