Marking a landmark 10-year journey of reviving Emirati craft heritage and empowering artisans, Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council (Irthi) is announcing the launch of Irthi Museum – the region’s first museum dedicated to contemporary craft. The new museum marks a significant milestone in Irthi’s impactful and evolving role as a platform for contemporary craft, design, and research.
Located within Sharjah Creative Quarter, the Irthi Museum will serve as a permanent institution for the preservation, reinterpretation, and future development of contemporary craft in the UAE and the wider region. As a city recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, Sharjah has long championed cultural preservation, artistic production, and knowledge exchange — making it a natural home for the region’s first museum dedicated to contemporary craft.
The landmark initiative is poised to become a permanent platform in advancing and contemporizing Emirati and regional crafts. This new space reaffirms Irthi’s commitment to building a creative economy through its on-ground initiatives and cultural display of traditional crafts. Irthi Museum’s dynamic space will empower traditional artists with the right tools and exposure to represent indigenous craft legacy on a global platform.
Her Excellency Reem Bin Karam, the Director General of Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, said: “The Irthi Museum stands as a living bridge between heritage techniques and contemporary expressions — a promise to keep our rich craft practices intact and carry them forward into the future. It is a celebration of craft not as a preserved relic, but as a vibrant, evolving legacy.”
About Irthi Museum
As part of the Sharjah creative quarter, the ّIrthi museum is strategically positioned alongside key cultural institutions including the Sharjah Design Centre, Sharjah Fashion Lab, and the Qasimi Studio & Archives, establishing it as a premier regional destination for contemporary craft.
Beyond the preservation of traditional practices, the museum will advance research, education, design innovation, collection development, and public engagement, creating new opportunities for artisans and positioning craft as a living and evolving cultural force.
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The Brand Ethos
Envisioned as the region’s first museum dedicated to contemporary craft, Irthi Museum introduces a new way of encountering craft — emphasising its evolution, material intelligence, and ongoing contribution to culture and society. It affirms Irthi’s belief that craft is not static history, but a dynamic continuum shaped by artisanship, design innovation and generational knowledge.
About Sharjah Creative Quarter
Sharjah Creative Quarter is a visionary project led by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Honorary President, and Her Highness Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of Sharjah Creative Quarter, and managed by BEEAH.
Designed by award-winning architectural firm Taller de Arquitectura – Mauricio Rocha in collaboration with Daniel Rosselló, the district will serve as a multidisciplinary destination for creativity, research, innovation, and cultural exchange.
Bringing together institutions dedicated to design, fashion, archives, contemporary craft, and creative practice, the district aims to foster collaboration, knowledge exchange, and cultural production while reinforcing Sharjah’s position as a global centre for culture and the creative industries.
With this announcement, the Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, in partnership with the Sharjah Creative Quarter, continues to support a sustainable and inclusive creative ecosystem that celebrates local and international talent and reinforces the role of contemporary craft as an active contributor to the cultural and creative landscape.