Areas of Expertise
- Cultural design
- Creative process
- Islamic Art and Design
- Design for Social Change
- Tangible and Intangible Heritage
Education
- PhD in Art and Design, Birmingham City University, UK (2019)
- MA Interior Design, Birmingham City University, UK (2011)
- BSc Interior Design, University of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain (2008)
Biography
Designer, educator and researcher from Bahrain, with practice extending from curating community art projects to art installations. Her areas of interest are cultural identity, design culture, art collaboration and the creative process. Tamadher obtained her Master’s degree in Interior Design in 2010 and completed her PhD in 2019 both from Birmingham City University in the UK. In 2008, she joined AGID consultants where she was mainly working on cultural design projects. Tamadher co-founded Ulafa’a Initiative in 2012, a reconciliation through the art initiative. In 2024, Tamadher co-founded Amana; a creative non-profit collective that aims to promote art for social change and safeguarding culture. In 2022, she relaunched Last Oil Well Art Space in AlA’ali Mall for one year, which focused on promoting the local scene and providing platform for young and emerging Bahraini artists. In her doctoral research, she investigates the possible philosophical approaches in contemporary Islamic Design Studies by using curatorial practice as methodological tool and an advocate to inform contemporary Islamic design pedagogy and practice. Her academic approach involves viewing curatorial practice as a disruptive form of knowledge that can include the structure and the visual experience of the written thesis. Tamadher is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Architecture and Interior Design at University of Bahrain.
Achievements
- Alumna of the Year in 2015 in Community Engagement and Leadership, Birmingham City University
Affiliations
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Grants & Contracts Awarded
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Publications & Presentations
- Alfahal, T., 2021. محورية المسجد في العمارة الإسلامية وفنونها. Al-Bahrain Al-Thaqafia, [e-journal] 28(103), pp.55-90. Available through: BACA e-Library Website <https://culture.gov.bh/en/mediacenter/elibrary/>
- Alfahal, T. and Sultan, R., 2020. Notions of Sustainability in Interior Design Studios: The Study of Senior Design Studio at University of Bahrain. Advance HE STEM Conference 2020, Manchester. 30 January 2020. United Kingdom: Advance HE.
- Alfahal, T., 2019. Curating & Creating A Practical Approach for Contemporary Islamic Design Pedagogy and Practice. PhD., Birmingham City University. Available at <https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?did=1&uin=uk.bl.ethos.809845>
- Alfahal, T., 2019. Collaborative Exploration in Contemporary Islamic Design Pedagogy and Practice. Education, Design and Practice – Understanding skills in a Complex World. Stevens Institute, New York. 17-19 June 2019. New York: AMPS.
- Alfahal, T., 2019. Enactment of Thinking: Creative Explorations in Research. BCU Annual Conference: Alchemies of Research. Birmingham City University, UK. 19th May 2019. United Kingdom: BCU.
- Alfahal, T., 2019. [Mind] the Map. Cracking the Established Order: Practice-based research in Academia, Leicester, UK. 27-28 June 2019. United Kingdom: CTEO.
- Alfahal, T. and Almurbati N., 2018. Redefining the form of Islamic Objects and Spaces. 12th International Conference on Design Principles and Practice: No boundaries Design. ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering, Barcelona, Spain. 5–7 March 2018. Spain: Design Principles and Practice.
- Alfahal, T., 2018. Curating/Creating Dialogue. 12th International Conference on Design Principles and Practice: No boundaries Design. ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering, Barcelona, Spain. 5–7 March 2018. Spain: Design Principles and Practice.
- Alfahal, T., 2017. Practical Exploration of Philosophical Principles as Basis for Islamic Creative Expression. Canadian Craft Symposium: Can Craft? Craft Can!. Canadian Craft Biennale, Toronto, Canada. 15–16 September 2017. Canada: Craft Ontario.
- Alfahal, T., 2016. Exploring the Potentials of Adapting Philosophical Principles as a Generative Source for Islamic Creative Expression. 19th International Conference on Islamic Philosophy and Logic. Innsbruck, Austria. 27 January 2017.
