In 2000, Hoda Baroudi and Maria Hibri founded Bokja driven by a shared passion for traditional craftsmanship combined with contemporary sensibility. “Bokja” derives from the Turkish word describing a cherished piece of fabric wrapping a woman’s most precious possessions.
Whimsical, yet powerful, textiles bring life and intrigue to contemporary, simple structures. Baroudi and Hibri aim to preserve, but, at the same time, reinvent traditions. Based in Beirut, Bokja’s work is reflective of the city and the contrasts one finds there—old and new, East and West, identity and impermanence. Entirely and carefully hand-made, each piece exudes the “charm of the way things used to be, when people cherished time, embraced luxury, and had personal investment in their possessions.”
Bokja has consistently been a pioneer in reviving regional textile practices, redefining them in a contemporary voice. Bokja’s existing body of work is entirely produced in the company’s atelier with meticulous attention to detail by exceptionally talented craftsmen and women from the region. Combining artisans, carpenters and designers behind every Bokja design is a team of 35 people from 10 countries such as Iraq, Syria, Kurdistan, Egypt and Lebanon. Bokja’s textile laboratory is a representation of a diverse cluster of textile practices. With a solid network of specialized artisans, Bokja serves as a curator of textile techniques and a gatherer of personal stories.
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