Aya Moug's papyrus furniture connects her Egyptian roots with contemporary design

When Egyptian designer Aya Moug was seeking a way to reconnect with her roots through her practice, she turned to papyrus: a sedge harvested along the shores of the Nile and used in ancient Egypt to make one of the world’s earliest writing surfaces spanning back to 2,900 BC. On digging deeper, she discovered that Egyptians used the plant to make everything from baskets and sandals to boats.

Moug, who will exhibit her new Ankh furniture collection made from the plant at Design Doha (from 5 November 2026), was studying for an MA in Industrial Design at London’s Central Saint Martins at the time. She was struck by how little attention it received from contemporary designers. 'Papyrus shares the same biochemical make-up as wood, which makes it inherently strong, and the plant’s natural sap acts as a glue,' explains the Dubai-based designer. 'It also filters pollutants from water as it grows. But today, it is mostly used to make souvenirs for tourists. So I thought: why not bring this slice of Egyptian history back to life in a modern way?'

After two years of research and prototyping, Moug created Byblos, a durable, clay-like biomaterial made from papyrus fibres. It can be shaped by hand or cast to create ultra-strong objects. She launched her first furniture collection, Shen, at the 2023 Downtown Design Dubai: a monochrome series of tables with glossy, swirling surfaces that recall the veins of marble. Custom commissions followed, including pieces for the UAE royal family, museums and restaurants in the region.

Moug’s more recent collections draw on ancient Egyptian forms. The console and stool from the Mooy collection, for example, have striking zig-zag profiles, referencing the hieroglyph for water and the twists and turns of the Nile.

Her Ze+MET collection, meanwhile, has an animalistic quality, nodding to ancient chairs with legs shaped like cat limbs. It combines Byblos with wood and animal hair, which she used for fringes.

Her sophisticated range of finishing techniques and textures come together in Ankh, including hand and machine carving and polishing. The ankh is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol associated with life and eternal existence. 'I am bringing a historic material and symbolic language back to life through contemporary design and craftsmanship,' she explains.

The Ankh II coffee table, for example, takes cues from ancient stones. Each hand-crafted boulder that makes up its surface is carved with a symbol associated with rebirth, strength, power or life. Meanwhile, the Ankh I sideboard’s curved door is 'a symbolic doorway between ancient history and a new era,' as she puts it.

Papyrus is a fast-growing species that can be harvested multiple times a year without damaging the plant, making it a more renewable alternative to wood. But the plant has largely disappeared from its historical habitats in Egypt, including the Nile Delta, due to agricultural expansion, intensive water management, and urbanisation. The designer is making the case for its wider cultivation. 'Papyrus is not only one of the most efficient natural pollution filters, but is also among the cheapest methods for treating wastewater,' she says. 'But its cultivation and development requires investment.'

To help spur this on, Moug’s sustainable surface design company Papyri is exploring new applications for Byblos across architecture and interiors. It has developed an off-white wall surface with a rich, rippling pattern. She adds: 'My dream is to develop products and surfaces that can be used in buildings across the world.'

The Ankh series will be on view as part of Design Doha, 5 November 2026 - 31 January 2027

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