Mikhael traces his intriguing career path as surgeon-turned-sustainable-furniture-designer to competing pressures from his upbringing in Agamy, just outside Alexandria. 

On the one hand, Mikhael’s father sparked his son’s lifelong passion for woodwork by building a home carpentry workshop. The young Mikhael immediately saw the potential for turning forgotten pieces of wood — including those swept ashore after storms — into something beautiful. 

Yet when it came to choosing a career, Mikhael’s family of doctors wanted him to follow suit instead of pursuing something more artistic. “My family saw art as something that does not make you a living,” recalled Mikhael. 

Eventually, the lure of Mikhael’s woodwork fascination proved stronger than his parents’ well-meaning career advice. After balancing medicine and carpentry for several years, Mikhael decided to quit as an orthopedic surgeon and focus on Gazwareen, his sustainable furniture business.

Gazwareen’s central philosophy matches the company’s roots in the circular economy, especially because Mikhael’s designs capitalize on the strengths of each particular scrap of wood. 

“I used to design a piece, and then find the wood to fit that design,” said Mikhael. “Now I set out with a general idea, and then let the wood guide me.” Mikhael describes each project as a puzzle, for which an ingenious solution might come from an obstacle, such as a stray, old nail embedded somewhere in the wood.

The end products of this intuitive process are striking. Mikhael’s oeuvre ranges from the birdlike Taka (falcon, in Japanese) Chair and the Eye of Horus Chair, to sturdy kitchen tables and outdoor bench seats. All items are very sound structurally, according to Mikhael, while proudly retaining the untamed characteristics of the scrap wood’s origins.

Gazwareen’s ambitious projects take time — on average, Mikhael needs one month to complete each piece. As a result, Gazwareen has cultivated a customer base that is flexible, patient, and appreciates the value of painstakingly restoring wood to its former glory. 

These buyers are generally happy to meet a slightly higher price tag, which reflects Gazwareen’s far more labour-intensive production process than for factory-built furniture. “A high quality product finds its customers,” Mikhael asserted confidently.

There lies the secret to Gazwareen’s commercial and environmental success — the belief that a broken boat can be reborn, a scrap of wood can support sturdy furniture, and a piece of rubbish can become an artwork. 

Learn more about Gazwareen through the website, Facebook and Instagram.

Photos courtesy of Gazwareen