What’s Left Behing
Kaos Decor
Bothaina Hussein and Mostafa Said, Kaos Decor, are a Dubai-based studio of contemporary sculptural object and functional art. Their practice is rooted in reimagining discarded materials and giving them a second life through art and object design. They recycle paper waste into handmade clay and build their own pieces using found cardboard structures and thrifted objects collected from across the UAE. Through layering, shaping, and experimentation, fragile materials are transformed into tactile sculptural forms that exist between art and function. They are deeply interested in celebrating imperfection, irregularity, and the human hand behind every object. Rather than hiding textures, asymmetry, or unusual forms, they embrace them as part of the identity of each piece creating objects that feel raw, expressive, and alive.
Built From Pressure
Opening on Friday, 9 October at 6 PM
What’s Left Behind is an exploration of memory, material, and cultural inheritance through the transformation of discarded paper and overlooked materials into sculptural objects. Paper, often treated as something temporary and disposable, becomes a vessel for stories that refuse to disappear. Much like the traditions, rituals, and cultural expressions passed down through generations, these materials carry traces of what came before us, continuing to shape our identities, perspectives, and ways of living long after their original purpose has faded.
Through the art of papier-mâché, the exhibition invites visitors to reconsider the value of what is left behind, questioning the boundary between waste and heritage, absence and presence, and the forgotten and the enduring. What’s Left Behind is ultimately a reflection on how even what we abandon can hold meaning, inspire new forms, and keep the past alive in unexpected ways.
