what a year it's been

km at nye . 2025

2025 felt like a very long year. maybe it's because a lot happened over the last 12 months. 2025 was full to say the least – a lot of good countered with some major bad. 2025 was the first year since 'the covid years' where i felt life was life-ing in the best and worst ways! and with that, let's get to my annual end of year blog post where i share thoughts and feels about the last 365 days...

• the first big moment of 2025 was turning the big 4-0 in february. i wasn't able to comprehend what turning forty meant as it happened. but as the year comes to a close, forty feels fun! it's comfortable, i have a clear sense of what i want, and an even clearer sense of what i don't. getting older isn't easy, but i think the forties is a 'now or never' decade – setting goals, maintaining good health, keeping your peace, and preparing for life's upcoming challenges. i don't know if i'm ready just yet, but here's hoping i will be...
• funnily enough, upon turning forty, i've been re-exposed to the chaos energy of people in their twenties which i am not happy about. we're in a time where gen z kids are becoming young adults, and i've no choice but to encounter them in the outside world! i remember hating my twenties, and i'm reminded why when speaking to anyone from that age bracket. they're not all bad – i have a few good friends that are currently in their twenties. i just have to remind them to keep any messiness away from me!
• speaking of friends, 2025 was a year of losing friendships. maybe it's the universe doing it's cosmic cleanup, but i'd be lying if i said i wasn't hurt. it's disappointing when you see people you genuinely cared for change in ways you don't recognise with no explanation. i guess we all change and sometimes in the process, slowly drift apart. with that said, a number of new friends have welcomed me into their lives this year, and i still have my solid handful of loved ones that i truly value.
• i lost one of my closest friends to suicide over the summer. i've known him since we first met as young pre-teens, and was one of the very few i was still in touch with from school. he's part of many of my fondest memories while growing up – misbehaving in our wild adolescence to dancing every weekend as young adults. as we got older, i loved our conversations every time we caught up after long pauses of not seeing each other due to life getting in the way. our personal lives were turbulent at times, but we always seemed to be there for each other when things got rough. hearing of his passing numbed me for the entire summer, shutting myself off from everyone and everything. i'm finally in a better place, but his loss will never go unnoticed. please remember to check up on your loved ones, and remind them that they are never alone in this world.
• in other upsetting news, i suffered a torn acl in my left knee in september while out with friends. it was quite an unfortunate circumstance, and honestly felt like some evil eye came my way. it's been three months since the injury happened, and i'm happy to say i'm back on my feet and it feels as close to normal as it was. i need to be careful from now on to make sure not to injure my knee in the future! i do feel my leg is weakened and gets tired fast. which is why i need to exercise regularly to make sure my knees are in good shape for the future. remember kids, do not skip leg day! 
• and now my favourite topic of discussion – my distaste for the art world! without fail, the art community continues to set new lows. the trend this year seemed to be cultivating exclusivity – building communities by creating a sense of desire to be part of elite circles and private members clubs! it's as if arts and culture aren't meant for everyone, reserved only for a select few that happen to be rich and powerful. and almost everyone is performing in an act of desperation to be a part of it. as a viewer from afar, it's a disappointing state of affairs, yet funny to watch the performance play out before you...
• with that said, my art practice away from the 'exclusive' art bubble has been pretty swell. there have been quite a few highs with projects and collaborations i'm really proud of that garnered some well deserved attention and traction! please do check out 2025's blog posts to see what i've worked on through the year. i didn't get a chance to work on any textile projects this year, but i hope to start a new series of textile works in 2026. i'm also finally working on a proper portfolio website with the help of my sister, so stay tuned for that! but don't worry, this blog isn't going anywhere...
• on the personal front – i did get back to exercising this year, which has temporarily halted due to my acl tear. i'm definitely going back because not exercising isn't an option anymore. i hope i'll be at my best in 2026. other than fitness, i'm still struggling to keep my private space at home clean – i've reached a point where i have too many books and nowhere to put them! i've also not been proactive with laying out the 'studio' i share to make it a proper working space. unfortunately it's still mainly being used as storage. but 2026 should be the year where that'll all change. in other personal news, i got to travel for work and leisure which is always a plus, i've danced as much as i could this year, and for the first time, i feel old as i watch my nephews grow up to become young men...
• during the summer slump, i took an introduction to dj-ing course which lasted four weeks. it was an absolute blast and i enjoyed it very much. and apparently i'm quite good at it! i don't think i have future plans in becoming a dj like everyone these days! but perhaps it's another platform to share my love for music by creating playlists and mixes of my own. i just need to practise – here's hoping i make proper time for it in the new year...
• speaking of my love for music, i attended thirteen live concerts this year!!! i attend a number of concerts yearly at home and abroad. but this is the first time (i think) where we've reached double digits within a year! here's the roll call of concerts attended: the corrs, christina aguilera, usher, kylie minogue, beyoncé, natalie imbruglia, charly black, kes the band, purple disco machine, ministry of sound classical, kaytranada, tyla and miguel!

and there you have it, another year out! and what a challenging year it was. maybe it was some sort of karmic year since everyone seemed to have felt the brunt of 2025. i guess to live a full life is dealing with all its ups and many downs. as a friend recently reminded me, 'we're living life deliciously'...

season's greetings to everyone reading this, and a happy new year – may 2026 be good to us all...

fang party

'fang party' page 1 . 2025

'fang party' page 2 . 2025

'fang party' page 3 . 2025

'fang party' page 4 . 2025

'fang party' page 5 . 2025

'fang party' page 6 . 2025

another year, another comic done for 'corniche', sharjah art foundation's annually published comics anthology. 

this year's story is about the realisation of coming to terms with growing old and feeling out of place at parties surrounded by the young and strange! i'm a proud millennial, and my disdain for gen z kids is very real! maybe i've forgotten what it feels like to be in my twenties (a decade i didn't enjoy), but it feels like youth today don't understand what it means to go out and have fun! everyone's too busy trying to be seen, constantly filming themselves on their smartphones, cosplaying in outfits that are caricatures to fashion references from decades past (why all the leather and wearing sunglasses in the dark?!).

'fang party' is a funny story of millennial aged friends who don't want to hang their party shoes just yet, and find themselves very out of place at a 'secret location' party! the short comic is loosely inspired by true events, and also an ode to '90s vampire tropes (think 'blade' and 'buffy the vampire slayer'). i'm really happy with how the comic turned out, and i kind of fell in love with the characters aby and kay. this won't be the last you see of them – i plan to work on a couple more short comics of their misadventures when trying to have a fun night out. stay tuned in 2026 *fingers crossed*

volume seven of 'corniche' is finally out in the world and once again i am proud to be published amongst talented peers and friends. it's such an honour to be published in all corniche anthologies so far – thank you nasir nasrallah, mouza al hamrani and the rest of the corniche team for the opportunity always...

all volumes of corniche are available via the sharjah art shop so make sure to grab your copies old and new.

ending this post with a gif of 'fang party' printed in 'corniche 7', with beautiful cover art (as always) by nasir nasrallah.

'fang party' in corniche 7 . 2025

dance your tee off

'dance your tee off' e-vite . 2025

i'm happy to announce a little pop-up organised by me and my favourite bookshop in town, hobb. hobb founder (and friend) haifa has graciously offered her shop to host a fun afternoon to launch two new t-shirts i've finally gotten around to printing (with the help of the workshop dxb). 

as everyone knows, i love t-shirts and haver amassed quite a collection through the years. i also love making tees – the last time i worked on a collection was over ten years ago, and wasn't completely happy with the end results. but a lot has changed through the years – better printing studios, production quantities are more feasible and an increased appreciation for locally made products. i initially wanted to print these in celebration of turning forty earlier this year, but i didn't get around to doing so.

'dance your tee off' is a one day event happening on saturday 20 december 2025, from 4pm onwards at hobb. it's an afternoon in celebration of this past year, as well as sharing my love for dance and music. the two designs 'khalid says dance' and 'the dancer' are a limited run of 40 tees each, from sizes small to x-large. there will also be a selection of prints and zines (by me) on sale as well, so make sure to come early and get some printed goodies before they're gone! 

it would make my heart full to see you all at 'dance your tee off'. if in dubai, please come down and show your love and support. enjoy light refreshments, music (i've prepared a wicked playlist!), and get your hands on some fun goodies! since it's the end of the year, it would be the perfect opportunity to buy unique, locally produced pressies for your loved ones.

mark your calendars, and see you at 'dance your tee off'...

old works in new exhibitions

'the palm tree of life' at 'interwoven', house of arts . 2025

 

'emirian' at 'departures', nomad abu dhabi . 2025

it's been quite a nice surprise to find out that two of my artworks are being exhibited during the month of november!

'the palm tree of life', is currently on view at the newly launched house of arts, located in expo city dubai. the artwork is included in the group exhibition 'interwoven', which opened on 17 november 2025 and runs until the end of 2026. the artwork was originally commissioned and produced in 2019 for the 1971 design space group exhibition 'fashcultivate', curated by fatma al mahmoud and khulood bin thani (see more here).

'emirian' is part of the group exhibition 'departures' at nomad abu dhabi, located at the old terminal 1 at zayed international airport. the exhibition runs from 19 – 21 november 2025. 'emirian' was originally commissioned by uae unlimited in 2016 for the group exhibition 'al haraka baraka: in movement there is blessing' at maraya art centre, curated by ali macgilp (see more here).

it's such a treat to see these artworks exhibited after so many years. as both these works belong to private collections, it felt like a reunion with old friends. thank you 'interwoven' curator alia al shamsi and 'departures' curator aleksi afanasiev for including my works in your shows, and to the 1971 design space and uae unlimited teams for loaning the works from their collections.

thejamjar 20

thejamjar 20 . 2025

thejamjar 20 . 2025

thejamjar 20 . 2025

thejamjar 20 . 2025

i'm happy to finally share this special window illustration i worked on for thejamjar who is celebrating it's twentieth anniversary this year. 

thejamjar is one of the og community art spaces in the city. i have many fond memories of visiting thejamjar since its early beginnings till today. as a young artist twenty years ago, thejamjar was a great space to be introduced to the local art scene/community, and have attended many of their exhibitions, community initiatives and programming. it's ethos haven't changed – it is still a place for people to commune and share a love for the arts.

the window illustration represents a timeline of the jamjar's story so far – from it's earlier locations around the city, to the various collaborations and projects produced through the years. there's also a little nod to projects i've personally worked on with thejamjar almost ten years ago (see here).

i have to thank the woman behind thejamjar, hetal pawani, for the opportunity and trust to tell thejamjar's story, and for staying in touch through the years when the art world today makes me and many feel excluded... 

the window illustration is on display until the first quarter of 2026. so if anyone's planning on visiting alserkal avenue, please pass by thejamjar to appreciate the work in person.

happy birthday thejamjar – here's to twenty more... ending this post with a photo of me standing proudly in front of the window illustration. i hope you love it as much as i do.

thejamjar 20 . 2025 (photo courtesy of thejamjar)

saloua raouda choucair

saloua raouda choucair . 2025

 

i'm really happy to share a selection of illustrations i worked on a few years ago. it was hard keeping it a secret for so long. and now that the project is officially out in the world, i'm excited to finally share it!

i was invited by myrna ayad to work on illustrations for her recently launched children's book series titled noor's heroes, sharing stories of inspirational people from the arab world. one of the books from the series is about the groundbreaking lebanese artist saloua raouda choucair which i had the honour of illustrating!

i was familiar with saloua's work prior to this project. getting to know more about her story, and reading about the challenges she faced and believing in her own work when no one else did was really inspiring. saloua raouda choucair is a great example of an artist who through consistency and making, was rewarded the recognition she deserved. interpreting saloua's story through illustrations was a real pleasure.

this is the first time i've worked on a complete children's book (i've mostly worked on illustrations for short stories). holding a copy for the first time and seeing my illustrations across the pages was quite joyful. thank you myrna for the opportunity, and for showing children in the region that we have inspiring stories to tell without looking very far. i hope i did you and saloua proud!

the first four books from noor's heroes, including saloua raouda choucair, are officially out in the world. published by kaph books under their children's book line 'kaph kids', all books are available in english and arabic. make sure to grab copies from trusted bookstores and online.

ending this post with one of my very early proposal sketches of saloua through the years. there's something about these i really enjoy...

on krutches...

krutches . 2025

here's a not so fun post with a pretty fun pattern design! an altercation earlier this month has led to an unfortunate injury; a partial acl tear to one of my knees. this is the first time i've experienced such an injury, and to be honest, it has shaken me a bit. i'm truly grateful for all the support (physical and emotional) from loved ones, and positive signs of recovery. but i can't help getting lost in thoughts about what-ifs. 

not being as mobile as i can be has put me down. but i'll be fine in good time. speaking to people who've experienced similar injuries all say so (apparently, acl tears are quite common!). patience, care, and recovery will do me good over the coming months. which means my modes of activity need to be temporarily altered. i'm hanging my dancing shoes for now, but not forever... 

if you're reading this, send your well wishes, prayers and positive vibes my way. i'll need it all during my path to recovery. and now that summer is officially over, stay tuned for some blog updates of upcoming projects i'm excited to share...

summertime slump

portrait . 2025

a lot has happened during the last (very hot) couple of months. and i have fallen into a severe summertime slump, hence the lack of new blog posts. on a positive note, i got to travel and attend a couple of concerts by my favourite pop queens, and danced as much as i could when the opportunity arose. i've also been hiding indoors avoiding the summer heat, and mourning the sudden passing of a dear high school friend which i've still not fully processed. 

with that said, i'm slowly trying to get out of this summertime slump, starting by sharing a recent illustration i worked on. it's a portrait to accompany my upcoming short comic for the sharjah art foundation's annual comics anthology 'corniche', which will be out in december, so stay tuned for future posts on that. i like how the drawing turned out – a slightly older cartoon version of lil' ol' me!

rove rak city

here are a series of illustrations i worked on for the newest rove hotels property which opened in ras al khaimah (rak) – rove al marjan island. commissioned by capsule arts, these illustrations take inspiration from rak city's cultural heritage, natural landscapes and wildlife, as well as the various tourist attractions and activities. the final illustrations are framed and installed along the corridors of the hotel's guest room floors. each floor has a variation of the illustrations in different compositions and colour ways which you can see above.

i'm really happy with the end result of this collection. if anyone's planning on staying at rove al margin island, please do share photos, and also make sure to have a good time!

ending this short post with a few photographs of the artworks installed at the hotel (photographs by thamer guissi).