![Qurratulain (Annie) Mehdi [Source: Women in 3D Printing]](https://fabbaloo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image-asset_img_5eb0985285bff.jpg)
Qurratulain (Annie) Mehdi is the co-founder of Tangible Recollections, an art & design collective, focusing on creating personalized tangible reminders centered around people’s favorite memories.
Nora Toure: Annie, could you let us know about your background and what brought you to 3D printing in the first place?
Qurratulain Mehdi: My background is in graphic design. After completing my master’s degree, I started my career as a designer and an art teacher at the university level. Apart from graphic design, I like to experiment in multiple mediums like 3D printing, pixel art, illustrations, jewelry design, calligraphy, Mughal miniature art, traditional truck art, board games, card games etc.
I always wanted to look for new things, so I spent the next few years of my career honing my skills and mastering new art mediums. During my next few years in the United Kingdom, I took a lot of courses and workshops, attended exhibitions and did some soul-searching. There, I developed an interest in interactive installations and 3D modeling and 3D printing.
In 2016, I relocated with my family to Italy. Here, I won the station 1 of a call for creative cultural projects by Weigh Station. In this project, I decided to use 3D printing as the main medium. I led a team of four artists and designers to present the history of a north Italian city Bolzano using a series of 3D printed art installations and 3D printed maps of the city.
Continuing from the momentum and capitalizing on the collaborations I had created in Bolzano, I co-founded Tangible Recollections, an art & design collective.
Nora Toure: What was your very first experience with 3D Printing?
Qurratulain Mehdi: Well, it’s a funny story, I went in for chocolate and discovered 3D printing, I will never forget it! It was a workshop about making 3D printed and vacuum-pressed molds for chocolate and in the end, I came out of workshop as a 3D printing fan!
Nora Toure: Could you explain furthermore what Tangible Recollections is and the services that you are providing?
Qurratulain Mehdi: Tangible Recollections is all about creating custom tangible art pieces which invoke a favorite memory, something worth remembering. These could be related to the item from a client’s childhood, a souvenir from their favorite place, something to pass on to the next generation, something they have on their bucket list or simply a highly personalized gift for someone we love.
We discuss with clients, their own ideas or their dream projects. Then we improve and realize these ideas for them. If the client wants, we also include them in the actual production. We also help companies who want to create with us unique official merchandise or souvenirs.
So far, we have made 3D printed street maps, personalized keepsake boxes, an interactive historic map book, 3D building models, a card game, a board game, a custom chess set, interactive art installations and much more. We are more than happy to take custom design requests in order to make an art piece centered just around people’s thoughts and their memories, which they can’t explain or express!
Read the rest at Women in 3D Printing
Elizabeth C. Engele (Lizzy) is a designer for social good, and a founder of MakerGirl.