Our most recent artist-in-residence at Dar Kawa was Ian Phin, a Scottish textile designer based just outside Milan, Italy. Together with his partner Maria Restrepo, they founded the label ROHKA, a women’s apparel line that focuses on sophisticated garments that balance subtlety, color and print.
Ian earned his Masters in textile design from the Royal College of Art in London, and his professional life began at some of the most notable fashion houses in Italy, including Romeo Gigli, Versace, and Marni. He has also acted as textile consultant and designer to brands such as Onward Kashiyama, Joyce, CP Company and Max Mara.
Escaping the fast-paced world of fashion, Ian took 10 days during the summer to decompress and recharge in Marrakech. With no specific goal in mind, Ian’s process nonetheless always begins with a pencil, chalk or paint brush in hand. Long walks around the medina brought him to unexpected places. He would randomly pick up a discarded cardboard box here and there, eyeing their tactile surface textures. These eventually became his sketch book and canvas. Ian worked at his makeshift ‘atelier’ on the roof terrace of Dar Kawa, while also regularly sketching outside in pleine aire. Often he would end the day covered in dust, with inky hands and a trove of visual ‘notes’.
For many of us, the intention of being ‘goal-less’ can be both exhilarating and somewhat an intimidating prospect. For artists, there is immense freedom in being distracted and following tangents, and the sun, literally. Ian realized that the warm – okay, hot, in August – rays were central to a lot of his discoveries in Marrakech, creating reflections, shapes, shadows, and bringing details of buildings, streets and architecture into view. Or absorbing and tucking them away in the cool dark shades.
“The residency gave me this wonderful chance to take what I have honed over 35 years and let it escape into a realm of freedom. It really invigorated me and gave back so much energy and motivation. To wake up in Dar Kawa is in itself a rather luxurious experience – the hand embroidered Egyptian bed linens, the scent of jasmine, the birds singing .. but coupled with the prospect of a day without any plans, and only following an aesthetic instinct makes it beyond a fantasy!”
We look forward to seeing how Ian’s Dar Kawa hiatus will eventually spring up in ROHKA’s future creations.
If you or someone you know is interested our artist-in-residence program, please go to this link. We believe in nurturing creatives in all fields, from the arts and design to also welcoming chefs, storytellers and makers of everyday magic.