ABOUT DOENVANG
Scandinavian Design with Islamic Values
It all started one morning, over breakfast, in October 2017. I had done a few paintings for our new home and could not find any wall decorations with Islamic values that would fit a Scandinavian home. I could not be the only young Muslim who had this problem. In recent years, the second and third generations of immigrants to Europe have adopted a modern lifestyle, with different needs and habits than the previous generation. As it has happened throughout history, people migrate and immigrate, and cultures and traditions fuse in many ways, including homes and how we live our lives.
Fusion between two cultures
While I usually have an eye for the design, I bounce the ideas with my husband, who, with his Turkish roots, are good at giving feedback to adjust the plans to our customers. The design language might be Scandinavian, but it is created with love for the Arabic language and calligraphy and middle eastern architecture and culture. When we first met, we both had experiences with the opposite cultures, and it was easy for us to find a middle ground between our different cultures. This translates into the company as we are usually balancing the company's development in between cultures.
Ethical production and less waste
I grew up in Denmark and converted to Islam when I was twenty-four. One of the things I found interesting about Islam was the value-set for protecting the planet and often scientific and spiritual approach to this life. With the company, we aim to uphold the values taught to us in the religion, and with that comes responsibility as a Muslim company. Our products are made ethically with workers being paid fairly, and our production is either in Europe or locally. We work with On-Demand-Manufacturing, which lowers our waste drastically and lowers our CO2 emission as well.
Expanding to fill the gaps in the Western Muslim Lifestyle
With On-Demand-Manufacturing growth, we have expanded our designs to more than just wall art. While most companies fail to cater to western Muslims, there are still many opportunities for us to introduce new products serving our community. We have recently launched phone cases and textiles and are currently working on more products. With our approach that Muslims in the West have two cultural backgrounds, we are constantly working on designs that combine the two. We need to remember our religion in our daily lives, and we are here to create a plan that suits the lifestyle and still uphold and reminds us of our faith as well.
The simple, Scandinavian design language, combined with the exquisite and ornamental expressions of the middle east, indeed creates an exciting fusion of cultures. Our company was made one morning in 2017 over breakfast. Like many other Muslims in the West, we have a foot in each culture and want to create products that combine the two.