The Irthi Museum is set to give Sharjah’s rich craft traditions a permanent home, bringing Emirati craftsmanship into a contemporary cultural setting. Announced by the Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, the museum will be the region’s first dedicated to contemporary craft and will form part of the Sharjah Creative Quarter.
The project marks another chapter in Irthi’s work to preserve traditional skills while showing how they can continue to evolve for new generations.
A decade of preserving craft
Irthi was founded in 2015 under the patronage of Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi. Over the past decade, it has developed a network of more than 640 craftswomen across 13 countries, working to keep traditional techniques relevant in a changing creative landscape.
Its work includes talli, the intricate braiding tradition, safeefah, which uses palm fronds in weaving, and faroukha, an embroidery technique. These crafts predate the formation of the UAE and form an important part of the country’s cultural heritage.
Irthi has also taken Emirati craftsmanship onto international platforms through collaborations with names including Bulgari, Cartier, Asprey and Design Miami. Its recent work has included an Al Sadu workshop with Apple at the 1 Billion Followers Summit.
What will you find at Irthi Museum?
The museum is intended to preserve this knowledge while looking at traditional craft through a modern creative lens. It will give artisans a dedicated platform to present their work and explore how heritage techniques can influence contemporary design.
The museum will be located within Sharjah Creative Quarter, an arts district that also houses or will house cultural and creative institutions including the Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi Collection, Qasimi Archives, Sharjah Fashion Lab and a L’ÉCOLE School of Jewellery Arts campus supported by Van Cleef & Arpels.
The quarter is located near the House of Wisdom and American University of Sharjah.
A new chapter for Sharjah’s craft scene
Sharjah is recognised as a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, making the museum a natural extension of the emirate’s long-standing focus on traditional creativity.
An opening date for Irthi Museum has not yet been officially confirmed. While previous reports have pointed to different possible dates, those timelines remain unconfirmed.
For Irthi, the museum represents more than a new cultural venue. It creates a permanent space where traditional knowledge can be documented, experienced and passed forward, helping ensure that Emirati craft remains part of Sharjah’s creative future.
