I am a lover of beautifully made things

and of the triumph of human imagination

The ATAB.Lab is an experimental space to share in this journey

A well-worn truism of the game of chess is that it offers up an entire world in sixty-four squares. For some, this world presents itself as a battleground; the royal couple stand staunch among their loyal infantry.

The objective being to pressure the opponent into surrendering by using sheer intellectual force. For others, such as myself, the world is an open exchange of ideas - an expression of human imagination.

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All Tribes Are Beautiful

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All Tribes Are Beautiful

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The Imagery of Chess - 1944

Invitation designed by Marcel Duchamp

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All Tribes Are Beautiful

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All Tribes Are Beautiful

Although the origins of Chess is debated, it is believed to have evolved out of the Indian game Chaturanga, sometime during the 6th century. Before spreading across the rest of Asia and the Middle East. Roughly 1500 years later the game is known the world over.

Through partnership with our friends at Studio Bagru, our first product, the ATAB x Chess Dhurrie seeks to tie the game back to its ancestral roots.

My design journey has more so been an invitation to continue the legacy of "The Imagery of Chess". Applying the same attitudes in order to both experience, understand and share my love of Chess. Whether that be in the form of new shapes, materials or rethinking the board itself, ATAB asks you to consider (and reconsider) this classic game for yourself.