PHOTOSHOOT 1930s ZAMALEK
Cairo, 2023
Ba's latest photoshoot took place in a 1930s villa located in Zamalek, a residential man-made island in the middle of Cairo.
Ba chose the space for its preserved architectural features: stained glass windows, ornate carvings, stylised columns, and original parquet floors. The uninhabited space still holds the grandeur of the era. It’s rare to be granted access to a protected, heritage villa, as many have been replaced by high-rise buildings.
The pieces came to life in the rooms as the light moved through the windows, the Egyptian sun peering through the old shutters and fluttering over wool pieces, particularly Fragments.
LOCATION: Cairo, 2023
PHOTOGRAPHY: Mariam Salah
A sanctuary nearby the river bank, there is a slight hum of traffic outside that has become modern-day Cairo. The garden is still loyally tended to, which makes it feel alive. Pieces that have been featured are Pyramid, Caravan, Fayoum and Fragments. All wool and handmade in Egypt by local artisans.
Mariam Salah, an emerging local photographer, captured the essence of the space’s textures and tones, which were in harmony with Ba rugs. Caravan rug blended into the terrazzo floors; the stained glass windows mirrored Mood’s turquoise accent; and the chequered green marble complemented Fayoum’s tones. The blue-yellow tiles in the glass study directly matched Pyramid rug, as though all the pieces were designed with this home in mind.
Caravan rug
Fayoum rug
Fayoum rug
Caravan rug
Caravan rug
Fayoum rug
Mood rug
Mood rug
Pyramid rug
Pyramid rug
Fragments rug
Fragments rug
Fayoum rug