Fatma Abutalib Abubakar

Interior Design (MA)
Close-up of Fatma Abubakar with long curly hair, a white headband, and a grey sweater. She has smooth makeup and a calm expression, looking into the camera.
A handmade doll, crafted from a bottle and dressed in black fabric with colorful stitching, lies partially submerged at the edge of a body of water. The doll has a head made from light-colored fabric with drawn-on facial features and long, pale yarn hair. A hand reaches out toward the doll from the right side of the frame, just above the rocky and moss-covered shoreline. The water is clear, with ripples and small splashes visible around the doll.
A handmade doll, crafted from a bottle and dressed in black fabric with colorful stitching, lies partially submerged at the edge of a body of water. The doll has a head made from light-colored fabric with drawn-on facial features and long, pale yarn hair. A hand reaches out toward the doll from the right side of the frame, just above the rocky and moss-covered shoreline. The water is clear, with ripples and small splashes visible around the doll.
A handcrafted bottle doll lies at the water's edge as a hand reaches out to retrieve it, blending themes of loss, memory, and human connection with the environment.
A close-up view of two hands holding a handmade doll fashioned from a bottle, with the bottle’s red cap removed. One hand grips the bottle while the other unties a small scroll of white paper secured with twine, which appears to have been stored inside the bottle as a hidden message.
A close-up view of two hands holding a handmade doll fashioned from a bottle, with the bottle’s red cap removed. One hand grips the bottle while the other unties a small scroll of white paper secured with twine, which appears to have been stored inside the bottle as a hidden message.
A scroll is carefully unwrapped from a handcrafted bottle doll, revealing a hidden message blending storytelling with tactile, symbolic ritual.
Two young boys in Dandora Kenya are seen from behind running along a dirt path through a natural, green outdoor setting. One boy is wearing a bright yellow football jersey with "RONALDO" and the number 7 on the back, while the other wears a black and pink jersey with "MESSI" and the number 10. They appear to be engaged in playful activity or exploration, surrounded by tall grass, wild plants, and a wooden fence that runs alongside the path. The image captures a carefree, youthful moment.
Two young boys in Dandora Kenya are seen from behind running along a dirt path through a natural, green outdoor setting. One boy is wearing a bright yellow football jersey with "RONALDO" and the number 7 on the back, while the other wears a black and pink jersey with "MESSI" and the number 10. They appear to be engaged in playful activity or exploration, surrounded by tall grass, wild plants, and a wooden fence that runs alongside the path. The image captures a carefree, youthful moment.
Two young boys, proudly wearing Ronaldo and Messi jerseys, race down a dirt path in Dandora Kenya capturing the spirit of play, friendship, and football legends.
Whispers In the Water - The full movie
A handmade doll, crafted from a bottle and dressed in black fabric with colorful stitching, lies partially submerged at the edge of a body of water. The doll has a head made from light-colored fabric with drawn-on facial features and long, pale yarn hair. A hand reaches out toward the doll from the right side of the frame, just above the rocky and moss-covered shoreline. The water is clear, with ripples and small splashes visible around the doll.
A close-up view of two hands holding a handmade doll fashioned from a bottle, with the bottle’s red cap removed. One hand grips the bottle while the other unties a small scroll of white paper secured with twine, which appears to have been stored inside the bottle as a hidden message.
Two young boys in Dandora Kenya are seen from behind running along a dirt path through a natural, green outdoor setting. One boy is wearing a bright yellow football jersey with "RONALDO" and the number 7 on the back, while the other wears a black and pink jersey with "MESSI" and the number 10. They appear to be engaged in playful activity or exploration, surrounded by tall grass, wild plants, and a wooden fence that runs alongside the path. The image captures a carefree, youthful moment.

About

Fatma Abubakar was born and raised in London and is originally from Kenya. She has always had a strong artistic foundation, beginning with GCSE Art and continuing her creative journey at City and Islington College, where she studied Fashion and Art & Design. Over time, her interest shifted toward architecture, captivated by how buildings and interiors can tell powerful visual stories.

This passion led her to pursue a degree in Architectural Technology at the University of Westminster, where she gained a deep understanding of architectural systems and construction methods. Eager to explore a more expressive and conceptual side of spatial design, she went on to study MA Interior Design at the Royal College of Art.

Her work sits at the intersection of design, environment, and philosophy exploring the emotional and ethical dimensions of interior space. Her curiosity is rooted in questioning how environments reflect, shape, and sometimes exploit the bodies that move through them. Blending speculative thinking with narrative design and philosophical inquiry, Fatma uses writing, film, and spatial storytelling to reimagine the role of interiors in society.

Her thesis project, Whispers in the Water, is a speculative film and research-led design proposal that investigates how government policies affect not only adults, but also children voices often left unheard. Using Kenya as her canvas, Fatma examines the corruption embedded in its governance and highlights the silencing of youth in political and social discourse. Whispers in the Water merges world-building, research, and psychological narrative to reveal how the Kenyan government’s policies exhibit indifference and negligence.

Through her practice, Fatma advocates for emotionally resonant, ethically grounded, and intellectually curious design guided by the belief that interiors are not just spaces, but vessels of memory, emotion, and storytelling.

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