ramadan by numbers

tasbih prayers (33) . 2015

eid al fitr (3) . 2015

a project i just completed in time for the holy month are a couple of posters for an exhibition titled 'ramadan by numbers'. the exhibition investigates the beauty of numbers in ramadan, and how they function as both spiritual gains and disciplinary reminders. this exhibition encourages an alternative look into the making of ramadan; a deconstructed month, and a reconstructed understanding. the exhibition is curated by my dear friend tima ouzden, in collaboration with the sheikh mohammed centre for cultural understanding.

the first number i got assigned was 33, representing tasbih prayers, involving the repetition of 3 short sentences glorifying god, which are 'subhan allah' (glory be to allah), 'alhamdulillah' (praise be to allah) and 'allahu akbar' (allah is the greatest). each are repeated 33 times, and prayer beads are commonly used to keep track of the repetition of each sentence.

the second number i worked on was 3, representing the 3 celebratory days of eid al fitr, marking the end of ramadan and the fasting period. celebrations include prayers, a lot of food, and spending time with family and loved ones. 

ramadan by numbers is taking place in the ramadan gallery, part of an event titled rwaq, located at the jbr walk. if you're in the area, make sure to head down and check out some amazing illustrations representing ramadan by numbers, by myself and some of the best artists (that i'm happy to call my friends) the city has to offer. the exhibition runs throughout the holy month.

thank you tima for the opportunity. and i hope everyone's posters in the exhibition educates and sparks positive knowledge to someone unaware of the holy month and it's importance in islam.

ramadan mubarak

ramadan mubarak . 2015

a quick greeting to all the krossbreed lovers out there. ramadan mubarak to everyone practicing. god bless and may all your prayers be answered during this holy month. 
wil be posting projects very soon. it's been an exciting couple of months so stay tuned. until then, i share with you this e-card made for tashkeel.

systems for a score

systems for a score vinyl graphic . 2015

systems for a score outer sleeve (front) . 2015

systems for a score outer sleeve (back) . 2015

systems for a score inner sleeve (front) . 2015

systems for a score inner sleeve (back) . 2015

systems for a score inner sleeve + vinyl (front) . 2015

systems for a score inner sleeve + vinyl (back) . 2015

people who know me know that one of my aspirations is to create album artwork for music records. well, that dream finally came true.

sound artists fari bradley and chris weaver were artists in residence this last year, as part of tashkeel's guest artist programme. i met fari around four years ago during my residency in london, and it was mere coincidence we would meet again at tashkeel years later. during their residency, fari and chris worked on sound projects, participated in talks, programmes and workshops around sound art, and introduced sound art to dubai's art scene.

at the end of their residency, fari and chris had an exhibition of works conceived during their time here. one of their projects included a pop up studio where participants were invited to record music and scores, which were interpretations of the traditional emirati weaving method called 'sadu'. these musical scores were compiled into their first recorded lp titled 'systems for a score'.

for the lp, i was asked to create the album artwork that would go on the cover, inner sleeve and the labels on the vinyl. the final graphic you see above is a distorted graphic of a pattern based on a 'sadu' weave i digitally illustrated. the graphic landed on the back outer cover. the front cover is special because each lp has a variant hand stitched weave stuck on the front, making each lp unique. details of the graphic were also used on the inner sleeve and labels on the vinyl.

it was a great opportunity working on the graphics for 'systems for a score'. thank you fari and chris for having an appreciation for the work i do and giving me the chance to work on the album artwork. it was loads of fun.

if you want to hear some of the amazing results from 'systems for a score' here's an album sampler which gives a teaser of all the tracks. if anyone's interested in purchasing 'systems for a score', head to the vinyl factory to grab your copy of this limited edition lp.

looking forward to working on more album artworks in the near future...

arab dreem for art4sight

arab dreem . 2013

art4sight invite . 2015

it's that time of year again where art is auctioned off for a good cause. the fifth edition of noor dubai's art4sight happens on tuesday, 28 april 2015 at the zabeel ladies club. for this year's edition, i have donated my illustration 'arab dreem' which i hope will successfully be auctioned off, and contribute to helping cure preventative blindness around the world.

arab dreem is one of my favorite illustrations, initially conceived for the publication never forget. it was also later exhibited in the past forward touring exhibition in the united states of america.

if you're a fan of my work, or a collector of the arts, i do hope you attend art4sight and help with your contributions. for a sneak peek of all the artworks included in the auction, have a look at the digital version of the auction catalogue. also included is a short description about arab dreem which i've shared below: 

"the illustration 'arab dreem' depicts some of the humorous shop signs found in the area called karama, in dubai. the illustration was one of the many results of a self initiated project depicting some of the forgotten areas around dubai. arab dreem speaks of the communities found in these forgotten areas, and the charm one finds when exploring these communities. from misspelt shop signs, to charming characters, one experiences a different side to dubai which is slowly getting lost."

the supreme council for motherhood & childhood

mother & child . 2015

here's a quick post of a quick illustration i worked on for a quick project!

i was approached by the supreme council for motherhood & childhood to create an illustration for collateral they wanted to distribute during a career fair. i came up with the illustration above which was inspired by paintings of the madonna & child. the illustration did make its way onto mugs which were given out to guests that visited their space at the fair.

i'm really glad i got to work on this short but sweet assignment. i do hope this project opens opportunities to work with the council again in the near future.

lastly, i dedicate this post to all the mothers out there. the first day of spring (march 21) marks mothers day in the arab world. so a belated mothers day to all. us children might not show it all the time, but we love you dearly on the inside always...

afrobeats postcards

azonto . 2015

kukere . 2015

skelewu . 2015

apart from launching an illustration zine (see previous post), another project i worked on during march's crazy art season was the rca secret dubai postcard exhibition. artists were asked to submit original postcard sized artworks which were showcased at this year's art dubai and were up for sale for aed 500 each. what's fun about this project is that no one know's the identity of the artist of the postcard purchased, until they buy it and their name is revealed on the back of the card. so the showcase is compiled of a variety of artists in different levels and stages in their careers.

on the last day of art dubai, the exhibition was opened to buyers to register and purchase their favorite postcards, and the artist names were announced. i was happy to find out that two of my three submitted postcards were sold. not sure if the third got sold in the end, but i do hope it finds a happy home wherever it is.

for the exhibition, i decided to theme my postcards on famous dance moves from one of my favorite music genres, afrobeats/dancehall – azonto, kukere & skelewu. the illustrations were carbon print drawings onto the plain postcards.

fade away & illustrate

fade away & illustrate launch invitation . 2015

after hosting a series of zine workshops over the last couple of years, i've been inspired to publish a self-initiated illustration zine titled 'fade away & illustrate'. it was a challenging process, but i'm glad to say that the zines are finally fresh off the press and ready to be shared to the world.

'fade away & illustrate' is an attempt at gathering some of the best illustrators around town and sharing their work to the masses. each issue, a group of illustrators are asked to respond to a theme, the first issue being 'introductions'. and what better way then to introduce these talented artists but through their awesome drawings.

there will be an official zine launch, hosted by the lovely organizers of the design house, during sikka art fair. make sure to come on thursday, 19 march 2015 to house no. 28 at al fahidi historical neighbourhood, from 7.30 pm onwards to get your copy of the zine and meet some of the awesome illustrators included in the zine. zines will be on sale at the launch, and during the duration of the fair (14-24 march) for aed 30.

a few thanks are in order – firstly, to all the contributors; issue one wouldn't have been possible without you. also, a big thanks goes to kamal and the magazine shop, for generously hosting me in their space to offer workshops, and their support towards the zine. lastly, a big thank you to the design house, for taking me back this year as a minor contributor, and hosting the launch. special thanks goes to tulip; for being my eyes when i carelessly don't pay attention to minor details.

look forward to seeing you all at the launch.

ps – the title 'fade away & illustrate' is inspired by blondie (one of my favorite bands in existence) and their song 'fade away & radiate'. have a listen when you have the chance...