krossbreed for capsule arts - neighbourhood series

deira . 2013

karama . 2011

satwa . 2013

i am delighted to announce that i am one of eighteen artists contributing to capsule arts' launch of limited edition prints by various artists based in the uae. capsule arts is a platform that has recently been set up to sell art though a limited edition print collection & artist commissions. access to these prints can be through their online store, & at pop up exhibitions across the UAE. also, capsule arts offers bespoke services for art/design related events & projects.

i am really glad to be part of an initiative which creates a platform that enables artists to sustain a professional career in the creative industries by focusing on affordable art for the public to access & be able to purchase.

i have contributed 2 series' of illustrations for the print launch. the first series is the neighbourhood series, which started as a simple illustration of karama a couple of years ago (see previous post here). it's great to see the illustration as part of a series which will be on sale very soon.

prints from the neighbourhood series (which includes deira, karama & satwa) will be available to purchase at capsulearts.com

to stay updated on capsule arts & the launch of the prints, make sure to check out their website for updates & also on their blog whereismyshark.com.

also, check out their artist feature blog post on me here.

stay tuned for information on the second series of illustrations...

pin-up de l'orient

pin-up de l'orient . 2013

a little cheeky krossbreed illustration/print i worked on during my spare time. an ode to the vintage pin-up world i love.

the illustration started off as a birthday present for a dear friend whose love for women is infinite! because i loved the end result, i thought it would be good idea to release it as krossbreed limited edition print.

'pin-up de l'orient' is a 30 x 20 cm original print, edition of 25, signed by me (edition 1/25 goes to the birthday boy!).

if you'd like to get your hands on one, get in touch & send me an email.

never forget: an illustrated guide to dubai's best kept secrets

never forget cover . 2013

never forget satwa . 2013

never forget karama . 2013

never forget karama . 2013

never forget hindu temple . 2013

never forget textile souq . 2013

never forget cafeteria . 2013

never forget front cover . 2013

never forget opening spread . 2013 

never forget hindu temple spread . 2013

never forget graffiti wall spread . 2013

never forget satwa spread . 2013

never forget loading men spread . 2013

never forget back cover . 2013

as many of you already know, i have the wonderful privilege of having a full time job in dubai's artist studio-space/gallery tashkeel. & with working in such a creative space, comes the opportunity of working on some amazing creative projects.

one of these projects was definitely the 'never forget' activity book i conceived as an original tashkeel product to be sold at this year's dxb store at art dubai.

never forget: an illustrated guide to dubai's best kept secrets, is an activity book for the young & young at heart, featuring the under appreciated areas of the city. the book features 4 main areas, including satwa, karama, bur dubai & deira. it pays homage to some of the city's best kept secrets, which are slowly forgotten for dubai's more new, modern areas.

the book is filled with simple line drawings of iconic architecture that make up the featured areas, & is also filled with games for individuals to play & fill in their own copies, making it more personalized.

i think this is probably one of the projects i am very proud to have worked on. i hope whoever's purchased their very own copy of never forget enjoys it just as much as i did making it.

this book is dedicated to my home city dubai; may you continue to grow, & never forget...

if you want to purchase a copy of never forget, make sure to pop by tashkeel where it is currently being sold at an amazing price of aed 30. also, feel free to contact me & let me know if you want a copy & all will be arranged.

rivers of the world 2.0

river city . 2013

river culture . 2013

river of life . 2013

polluted river . 2013

resourceful river . 2013

working river . 2013

once again, i worked on the this year's edition of rivers of the world, this time focusing on the river thames. like last year, i worked alongside a talented designer/artist, who is also my dear friend, layan attari. together we offered 6 art workshops at 6 different schools based in dubai, introducing the children to art techniques & creating artworks based on assigned themes about the river thames.

the final 6 artworks are presented above. here are brief descriptions about each of the final artworks:

river city: students were asked to illustrate iconic imagery associated with london onto different city maps. these icons collectively make up the city of london & it’s expansion throughout the years from the river thames & beyond.

river culture: using the victorian era as inspiration, students were asked to create a series of collaged skirts made out of images of various sailboats, representing the fashionable women who'd attend nautical activities at the thames as a common past time. 

river of life: students drew & assembled unique creatures based on existing marine-life found in & around the thames, comprehending the endless possibilities of life that exist because of the river.

polluted river: a positive outlook about the prevention of pollution through recycling. students illustrated plants on everyday discarded materials, symbolizing the positive effects of recycling on the environment. 

resourceful river: for many civilizations that settled along the thames, the river provided resources used for the progression of communities. using watercolours, students painted farm-related visuals, contributing to the growth of modern day london.

working river: students focused on the stories of sailors & the adventurous lives they lead. loosely based on the aesthetics of sailor tattoos, students illustrated nautical imagery, communicating themes of a sailor's life.

it was great to be a part of the project for a second time. thank you british council for inviting me to be a part of rivers of the world from the beginning. it was a great experience working with children from the community & seeing them unleash their creativity. this is definitely an experience i will never forget...

ramadan kareem 2013

ramadan kareem . 2013

wishing all my krossbreed followers a blessed month & may all your prayers be answered.

it's been quite awhile since my last blog post. alot has been happening since then. will definitely start posting about it all very soon...

details in the fabric

design house . 2013

details in the fabric 1 . 2013

details in the fabric 2 . 2013

details in the fabric 3 . 2013

details in the fabric 4 . 2013

details in the fabric 5 . 2013

details in the fabric 6 . 2013

details in the fabric exhibition at sikka . 2013

details in the fabric exhibition at sikka . 2013

details in the fabric exhibition at sikka . 2013

for last month's sikka art fair, i was one of six exhibiting designers participating in an amazing initiative titled 'design house'. conceived by two of the most inspiring graphic designers i know; hadeyeh & hala of mobius design studio, i was invited to push myself & work outside my comfort zone to create a new project for the initiative. along with myself & the mobius girls, there were layan attari, nada al yafaei, talin & tulip hazbar, who all created unique individual projects on the theme of preservation.

the design house, situated in cozy house number 53, included an exhibition that showcased each of the participant's works, ranging from typography to illustration, to archiving and architecture. a series of workshops were also held, recreating techniques used in producing the exhibited works. & a closing feast to mark the end of all our efforts was held, to meet, eat, converse & interact.

for the exhibition, my project 'details in the fabric' contextualized the opposing themes of preservation and deterioration, based on living in a society that struggles with juggling to preserve traditions/culture with modern lifestyles. the technique used in creating this series involved screen printing contrasting visuals onto pre-existing fabrics obtained from dubai’s traditional fabric souqs. these vibrant textiles are commonly used in tailoring traditional garments for men and/or women in the emirates, with geometric shapes or organic motifs adorned as patterns. the silkscreened graphics allowed for another visual layer onto these fabrics; communicating the conflict between the two previously mentioned ideas through abstract and/or literal themed illustrations. visitors at the house were able to observe the details of the visuals on the fabrics and absorb the varied narratives communicated through these pieces.
overall, the design house was a brilliant experience. working alongside awesome like-minded designers reminded me of the fun times as a design student in college. creating these pieces definitely fed into my creative process when working on projects, & definitely pushed me to create a different aesthetic which i loved. the project also gave the opportunity to contribute to other initiatives; by creating or contributing related pieces for other projects, including place mats which were sold at this year's dxb store & a contribution to this year's art4sight auction to raise funds (fingers crossed) for noor dubai's fight against blindness.
for more information on design house at this year's sikka, & what comes next (we hope), stay tuned here & here.

design house peeps . 2013

before ending this, a few thank you's are in order. to my design house girls - thank you for making me be a part of this initiative. i hope we continue to work together in the near future. thank you for making me laugh, cry, frustrated & loved during this experience. i hope you're proud of me, as i am proud of each & every one of you. this is something i will always remember. love you all.

thank you sikka for accepting design house as a part of the fair programme, & accepting my project too.

a final, special thank you goes to my friend salama for helping out when she had a lot on her plate, & giving her all to make sure my project was ready on time. thank you & much love.

back by popular demand

khalid says relax tee . 2011 . 2013

back by popular demand, the iconic 'khalid says relax' tee is back for another limited run of a 100 tees. 

the first run sold out at 2011's dxb store at art dubai. & like all krossbreed tees, once they're out, they're never reprinted. but for this year's edition of the dxb store, a section called 'dxb store classics' is set up, selling popular products from the past. so i made an exception, & reprinted a final limited run of this now classic tee.

make sure to head to art dubai over the next few days to get your own tee. who knows, they might sell out again...