Tessa Barbara El Sakhi El Maalouli is a multidisciplinary architect, designer and creative entrepreneur, currently living between Venice, Beirut and London.

Born in Lebanon the Land of Cedars, she grew up in a family of architects, engineers and doctors with cross-cultural oriental and occidental influences from her Lebanese father and Polish-Syrian mother. Her constant travel journeys, inspire and influence her work across architecture, art, and design.

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

She started her career in 2015, while she was still in college and became an award-winning studio, established locally and internationally. In an era characterized by relentless velocity, she places social interaction at the core of her practice, and question our contemporary perceptions of identity and living whilst embracing cultural heritage. She designs both permanent and ephemeral spaces and objects, emphasizing on sensorial and social interactions amongst human and nature through emotional and physical experiences. A driving force within her creative process lies in her commitment to craftsmanship and sustainability by recuperating discarded materials and recycling them to achieve ingenious textures and forms, and collaborate with creatives from diverse cultures fostering a dynamic dialogue of cultural exchange that encourage both craftsmanship and innovation. Her projects traverse a kaleidoscope of creative and artistic disciplines, ranging from small-scale architecture, urban interventions, public installations, commercial and residential interior design, collectible objects, sculptures, scenography, photography, floral design and perfumery.

PERFUMERY

In 2020, she launched her line of body perfumes and soap collections. Rooted in her rich heritage – the cradle of the invention and use of perfumery in the Arab region – and the longstanding history of her family in Lebanon since 1746 – her passion for flora and fragrances began at an early age getting lost in the wilderness of the glorious mountains of ancient cedars and pine forests, strolling in the lush Levantine Souks of myrrh, oud, and amber, running in the vast orange orchards and blooming valleys of wild orchids, genet, and roses, and bathing in the bursting waterfalls diffused with vibrant aromas of moss. Her fragrances focus on the value of craftsmanship and Mother Nature and transport you into a restorative escape to the wilderness of Forests, dreaminess and nostalgia; the collection is inspired by her native lands’ Forests' and its four seasons’ most evocative notes, diverse natural ingredients and irrefutable enhanced wellbeing. They are consciously sourced and handcrafted with intricate precision and care in France, and include sustainable and natural oil extracts of the highest quality. The project contributes and donates to initiatives focused on urban afforestation in Lebanon, helping to support biodiversity and promote social and environmental regeneration with each purchase.

“Perfume is the wing of our soul, it is an expression to define ourself beyond our physical bodies. It is enchanting to interpret the olfactive sense with the ones of sight, sound and taste. And this is precisely where my perfume collection co-exists with my current architecture and design studio; in each project, I draw inspiration from Nature's vast palette of colors, textures, sounds, and scents allowing me to create a physical and emotional voyage through spaces and objects that engage all senses, much like the art of perfumery - my fragrances carry stories rooted in Ancient Forests and transport you on an evocative journey to explore oneself through emotions and memories.”
- Tessa

She started her initial architecture studies at Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts in Beirut in 2009 and later graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture at the American University of Beirut in 2015, winning the first prize of honors and excellence for her final diploma year. While studying, she was interning at Bernard Mallat Architects in 2013 and Raëd Abillama Architects in 2014 and volunteering with The Nawaya Network in Lebanon for children’s art therapy, IVHQ in Africa for children’s education and Share & Care Foundation in India for children’ care.

Her work captivates an audience across the globe with exhibitions held in Beirut, Venice, Paris, New York, Milan, London and Dubai, garnering several nominations and awards, and widely published in newspapers, magazines and online platforms. Committed to philanthropy and social consciousness, she supports numerous NGOs for student scholarships, reforestation initiatives, fund relief aids, reconstruction efforts, sexual health awareness, children education and dog rescues. Her pursuit to share knowledge, inspire and educate, lead her to partake in lectures and workshops with educational and cultural institutions in Beirut, London, Dubai, Sharjah, Sydney, Baltimore, China and Miami.