Studio Omar Chakil introduced Egyptian alabaster into contemporary design, as well as the concept of collectible design in Egypt. Omar Chakil was born in Beirut and raised in Paris, carrying Lebanese, French and Egyptian lineages, a plurality that drives everything he makes to this day. His engagement with Egyptian alabaster stone began a little later in life, once he came to recognise that the stone he had seen reduced to ashtrays since childhood was the same stone the pharaohs had reserved for sacred objects.

His first carved alabaster piece, the PUSH stool, opened everything up for Omar and his team. He renamed it pharaonic alabaster to anchor it in its lineage. Working across Cairo’s workshops, Omar's practice is inseparable from the artisans who taught him to read a block of alabaster and recover traditional carving techniques. Since Beirut Design Week 2018, the work of Studio Omar Chakil has entered collections worldwide and set an auction record at Piasa. "Choosing Egyptian alabaster," says Omar, "is a cultural statement, and a challenge to where beauty is meant to reside."