A Poetic Dialogue Between Craft and Culture

Co-founded in 2023 by Tawfic Kondakji and Mediseh Einafshar, Biiadi is a Milan-based interdisciplinary design studio. Focused on exploring and reinterpreting manual techniques with noble materials, their singular pieces effortlessly synthesize functionality and style. Believing it takes a lifetime to craft a masterpiece and that masterpieces must outlast their master, the creative duo stays true to the aphorism "ars longa vita brevis" by collaborating with only the most skilled craftsmen.

How is a BIIADI object born, and what cultural meaning does it carry?

A BIIADI object is born through a meticulous artisanal process that blends interdisciplinary design, noble materials, and traditional techniques with details rooted in a past time or culture. Each creation takes shape through an ongoing dialogue between the initial idea, the natural material chosen, and the skilled hand of the artisan bringing it to life.

We aim not merely to produce functional objects, but to create works that carry a story, a symbol, an emotion. This is how cultural meaning intertwines with form—each piece reflects the richness of tradition, reinterpreted through a contemporary and poetic lens.

What are the challenges and rewards of keeping traditional techniques alive today?

Working with master artisans is always a challenge, but it’s one that allows us to preserve invaluable knowledge and give deeper meaning to the concept of luxury.

In a world racing toward automation and standardization, choosing the slowness of the human hand might seem countercultural, yet that’s precisely where we find our truest value. Traditional techniques are not just methods of making; they are a cultural legacy to protect, to pass on, and to honor.

The greatest satisfaction comes when a finished object tells that story—when those who encounter it can feel the care, the soul, the difference embedded in it.

How does your work tell the story and identity of your homeland?

At its core, our work is an act of belonging. Through the forms, materials, and techniques we select, we tell the story of our cultural blend—rooted in Middle Eastern sensibility, enriched by Italian craftsmanship and influence, and suspended in the tension between our past and future.

Each BIIADI object is infused with this identity, reinterpreted every time with respect and imagination.