Interviews

Bil Arabi’s Nadine Kanso: Creates Art with Language

By Amy Pugsley | March 31, 2021

The early 2000s were a challenging time for the Middle East. It was a time when the West and international media were passing judgement and creating narratives about the region that were harmful and hard to shake. Born in 2006, Bil Arabi jewellery stood up to these judgements to say, “I’m proud to be Arab,” and what better way to show strength and pride than through the Arabic language.

Founder and designer Nadine Kanso wanted to promote her language and identity through art, and quickly Bil Arabi became one of the most influential brands in the Middle East. Handmade in the UAE, each piece is a work of art that is an ode to the region she loves so much. We sat down with the designer to learn more about her label.

Out of curiosity, where did the name Bil Arabi come from?

The brand was about a statement, being proud of our language and identity, so the best way was the simplest and more straightforward way; Bil Arabi means ‘in Arabic’, literally.

Do you remember the first piece of jewellery you were really obsessed with?

For the longest time, jewellery was not something that interested me. I always looked at it but never had the urge to buy it at a younger age. My mom had a couple of pieces I loved; one of them is a pair of earrings that she had bought a long time back in Greece from Lalaounis, but I have always been particularly obsessed with a beautiful Emerald ring.

What is your absolute favorite part of being a jewellery designer?

I get to create pieces that will keep a certain memory for someone. I get to mix and match stones; it is a beautiful world where I can be creative.

It seems like you are very invested in keeping your collections fun while paying homage to the Arabic language. How would you describe your design process?

Each collection brings a new story and a new way of looking at the letters or words used in my collections. Yes, they are playful but they are also chic and long lasting in terms of design. A lot of ideas are written on a blank page and left there for a while until I look at them again and something just clicks. That’s when I pick that word or idea and start sketching and making samples until I am happy with the full plan.

Bil Arabi has been a must-have Middle Eastern brand since 2006. Is it hard to stay innovative? How do you know when you’ve found an idea that works?

I have put myself in a challenging space, if I can call it so. Working only with Arabic letters and words, yet I like that I have to be creative, and to push myself to be innovative, find new angles and stories to the jewellery I am making. I am never sure if something will work for sure. You have to believe in the idea and story behind your work even if the collection might not be as commercial as you would like. That’s how you can remain different and unique.

How do you balance between being creative and having commercial appeal?

You have to do what you love even if it’s not commercial. And since you will always have a jewellery collection that becomes your basic go-to, these become your commercial pieces, your bread and butter.