Najla El Zein’s work grows from an intuitive and personal approach, where narrative, craftsmanship, and materiality guide the creation of each piece. Her sculptures invite a sense of engagement, emotion, and connection. Born in Beirut in 1983, she is a Lebanese French artist and designer based in Amsterdam. She graduated from the École Camondo in Paris with a degree in Product Design and Interior Architecture. The notion of the body is central to her practice. Her works emerge from touch, weight, and movement, holding within them the memory of this physical engagement. This presence can be felt in the finished pieces, creating a direct and immediate dialogue with the viewer. Her instinctive connection to natural materials, which she experiences as alive and carrying their own history, shapes the forms as they appear. Her process is grounded in a direct engagement with materiality, form, and space. This approach allows the work to move naturally between object, sculpture, and design. In 2024, she received the Dia Al-Azzawi Prize for Public Art for her permanent installation _Us, Her, Him_ in Doha, Qatar. In 2025, she was named among the AD100 most influential figures in art and design. Her works are held in international collections including the Dallas Museum of Art, the Saint Louis Art Museum, Qatar Museums, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Najla El Zein
Multidisciplinary Designer | Amesterdam - Beirut
Najla El Zein. Image courtesy of the Designer
The Interview
What inspired you to pursue a career in design?
I spent a lot of time in flea shops growing up while living in Paris.
How does your cultural or regional context influence your design work?
The accessibility and culture of craft inherent in our region.
What is your design philosophy or approach to creative problem-solving?
Everything is possible.
Describe a project you're most proud of and why it's meaningful to you.
Us, Her, Him, which is my first public work. It was meaningful to see my work existing in the public sphere, accessible to many different people and integrated into the life of the city.
Who are your design influences or mentors, and how have they shaped your work?
I’ve always been drawn to designers and artists who work closely with material, narrative and form, for example Isamu Noguchi, Saloua Raouda Choucair, Carlo Scarpa, Louise Bourgeois, Niki de Saint Phalle, Henry Moore, there are many! But my strongest influences come from lived experience, from craft cultures, and from the physical engagement with materials rather than traditional mentorship.
What role do you think design plays in shaping communities and culture in the MENASA region?
The objects and spaces around us influence how we move, how we gather, and how we relate to one another. When design is thoughtful, it creates comfort, connection, and a sense of belonging.
How do you stay inspired and continue to evolve your creative practice?
I try to let the process lead me.
What are the biggest challenges facing designers in the MENASA region today?
Perhaps what is the most needed is the infrastructure around design, education, institutions, subsidies.
Works
Group of Five, Image courtesy of the designer.
Seduction Pair, Image courtesy of the designer.
Website
www.najlaelzein.com
Socials
@najlaelzein