artist talk

khalid mezaina artist talk at youth hub e-vite . 2020

if anyone is in or around dubai on monday, 2 march 2020, i'll be giving a talk at youth x hub, located in emirates towers, between 6:30 – 8pm. organised by tashkeel, the talk will be an intimate session about my love for neighbourhoods around what is commonly known as 'old dubai', and the works i've created over the years inspired by my observations and interactions within these spaces.

it should be a fun trip down memory lane looking back at some of my illustration and textile based projects honouring these neighbourhoods and what they mean to me. i don't think i'll ever tire of these neighbourhoods, or what's left of them, and creating works about these areas will forever be an ongoing process.

for more information on my upcoming talk and to register, head to the event page here. i look forward to seeing you all on monday. it should be a really fun, and i hope, inspiring to others.

the alumni return 2020

'the alumni return' exhibition poster . 2020 (courtesy of the american university of sharjah)

i never would've imagined that i'd be exhibiting my risd mfa thesis project 'capes make the man' at the american university of sharjah (aus), where i spent four years of my life as a graphic design student between 2002-2006. for those who know me, my experience in aus had its many ups and downs. if i had to describe my experience in one word, i usually say 'traumatic'! but i can't deny the wealth of knowledge and skill-sets gained from being an undergrad student in the college of architecture, art and design (caad) (which used to be known as the school of architecture and design (or sad!) back in my day). plus, i built a great community of friends through the years who've all been students at aus at some point in their lives. 

i'm truly honoured to be back at aus as an exhibiting alum in the caad department, exhibiting the capes i intensely worked on as a textiles grad student in good ol' providence, usa! this is the second round of 'the alumni return' exhibition, in partnership with tashkeel (you can read my earlier post on the first edition here). the second iteration of the show focuses on degree projects created by seven aus/caad alum that pursued further education in various art/design disciplines around the world.

'the alumni return': caad edition, opens on 25 feb 2020, 5:30pm, at the gallery space in the caad building, aus. the exhibition runs until 10 march 2020. so if you haven't seen my capes in previous showcases, now's your chance! there will also be a panel talk on 3 march 2020 at 5:30pm, where a selected group of exhibiting artists will speak about their individual projects and their experience of pursuing a masters degree.

a huge thank you goes to tashkeel and my dear friend hala al ani, member of mobius design studio, fellow aus alum, and currently a professor at the caad department, for their constant support and work on making this exhibition come to life.

*update on 1 march 2020: the panel talk scheduled for 3 march has unfortunately been canceled due to recent news on the coronavirus outbreak*

screenprinting: expand your practice

'screen printing: expand your practice' workshop e-vite . 2020

here's another series of fun workshops, this time happening in dubai. the lovely team at tashkeel have organised a 4-session screenprinting workshop titled 'screenprinting: expand your practice', with yours truly as the instructor!

this workshop series is great for those wanting to learn a new process which can be applied into anyone's current art practice. this won't be your conventional screenprinting workshop – along with understanding the basics to screenprinting, we will learn how to screenprint through exploration and experimentation of techniques and methods, getting a sense of what screenprinting is all about, and how any artist can apply these effectively into their own personal practice. during the 4 classes we'll explore screenprinting by creating stencils (both manually and digitally), drawing directly onto a screen (using drawing fluid) and creating monoprints with a screen. it should be super fun and i for one am very excited about this!

'screenprinting: expand your practice' happens on sundays, between 6:30 – 9pm. the workshop starts this month on february 23, and continues on 1, 8 + 15 march. for details and to register, head to the worskhop page here. rememeber, this workshop series won't happen if there aren't enough signups so please make sure to register and spread the word.

looking forward to seeing everyone at the workshop. it'll be really fun getting your hands dirty and experimenting with screenprinting!

workshops at the warehouse

stamp printing workshop at warehouse 421 . 2020 (image courtesy of warehouse 421)

after a month off, i'm back to blogging! hope 2020 has been off to a good start for everyone.

after taking a much needed break from the interwebs, it's time to get back to work. and we're starting the new year with a couple of workshops – i'm happy to be back at warehouse 421 for the month of february teaching a couple of textile printing workshops. after offering a successful workshop in january, 'storytelling through patterns' is back. Participants will create stamps and stencils which will be used to print patterns onto textiles. hopefully, we'll have patterns that can convey stories or communicate a narrative. happening on saturdays between 1-4pm, the first session on the 15th will focus on creating stamps while the second session on the 29th will focus on creating stencils. if anyone's missed any previous textile printing workshops led by me, here's an opportunity to be a part of it.

to register for 'storytelling through patterns: stamp printing' on 15 feb, head to the workshop page here.

to register for 'storytelling through patterns: stencil printing' on 29 feb, head to the workshop page here.

looking forward to seeing you all at one (or both) of these workshops. it'll be loads of fun!

*update on 29 february 2019: both sessions of 'storytelling through patterns' have been canceled due to lack of signups*

and one more thing...

in the studio . 2019 (photo by john marshland. courtesy of tashkeel)

so here we are – another year comes to a close. what felt like a really long year is suddenly over, and what a ride 2019 has been. it was a great year in terms of career development – i was able to sort out a studio space at the beginning of the year, co-sharing with mobius design studio at tashkeel, i worked on a couple of new textile projects, lots of freelance gigs, pushing my publication practise, and teaching tons of workshops throughout 2019. i'm truly blessed with what a successful year it has been, and i hope to continue riding this wave into 2020.

with that being said, 2019 was quite exhausting on so many levels. besides working hard, it was really difficult dealing with the cultural scene here and the people involved. as the year progressed, i began feeling very disconnected to an industry that i've worked so hard to be a part of. after graduating from risd last year, i made the conscious decision to move back home and pick up where i left off, because home is where i wanted to be. but what i didn't anticipate was a decline of professionalism and respect by certain clients and industry peers. frankly speaking, it felt like everywhere i turned, i've been disappointed and left uninspired. i didn't feel like making work, or engage with the creative community and the city's cultural events/activities. things have been poorly organised, praised for being successful yet not acknowledging the poor content being presented, and catered to the 'fake it till you make it' crowd (i like to call these people hacks!). i feel 2019 made it normal to support mediocrity, and flaunt it on social media (please don't get me started on how much i dislike the socials!). how did we get here? what went wrong people?! i hope i'm not alone with sharing these sentiments, and i hope whoever's reading this feels the same way. don't get me wrong, i must've slipped on certain occasions with work and deadlines, or dealings with people. but i'd like to think i am conscious of it, and try to be better so it doesn't happen again. i don't think i alone have a solution to these problems, but i think voicing that problems exist is a start. i hope there's more people in the new year who speak up, and contribute to building a better art/design community that's inclusive and inspiring, not dependent on dollar signs (or in this case dirhams), crowds, or hashtags. i hope the right people come together and navigate within the right channels to collectively make change.
and with the frustrations from what's mentioned above comes exhaustion. and with exhaustion comes a lack of self care. 2019 was the year i unfortunately really let things get out of control – i've kept empty promises and lacked any drive or discipline to clean out my living space or to exercise. the latter, i am constantly reminded of by others who feel the need to comment on my weight *insert eye roll*. i really didn't want to be in this place by the end of 2019, yet here i am. maybe this post is a result of 'end of year blues', and i need to start fresh for the new year. i don't know what 2020 has to offer, but i'd like to think that i'll be in a better place mentally, physically and emotionally. 
and with work – i hope i'll be able to filter out all the noise by unnecessary people and spaces, to keep doing my thing, work on the right projects with the right people (and there are a handful of good people here), and to keep on improving. i always tell myself (and others) to keep doing what one does best, not to follow trends (like many people in this town), and the work will speak for itself. everyone has different definitions of success, and i believe even if the rewards aren't immediate, they will come. to still be around and be doing what i love to do must count for something, and i am proud to have come this far. i couldn't have done it without the support of family, loved ones, clients and industry peers that matter. so thank you to those who have made my year a fruitful experience, and i hope we continue this journey together... 

thank you 2019 for all your ups and downs, but i think it's time to say good bye. i hope 2020 will be good to us all – wishing all the krossbreed lovers a good time, love and smiles, dancing and creativity! 

season's greetings and a happy new year to everyone. see you on the other side...

final activities for 2019

'shifts to maneuver: shape-shifting texts & other publishing tactics' at warehouse 421 e-vite . 2019

'jaddaf aloud!' at jameel art centre e-vite . 2019

'winter camp 2019' at tashkeel e-vite . 2019

announcing a final few participations before the year is officially over. i can't believe 2019 is almost coming to a close. and what better way then to end the year with some exciting exhibition and workshop participations! below is a list of what i'll be occupied with during the final month of the year:

i am happy to be included in an 'alternative publishings' exhibition titled 'how to maneuver: shape-shifting texts and other publishing tactics' at warehouse 421, abu dhabi. curated by maha maamoun and ala younis, the duo behind the publishing initiative kayfa ta, the exhibition looks at different publishing practises that have emerged in the region over the years, highlighting certain publication projects and initiatives, as well as looking at the need for the creation of such printed matter. 'how to maneuver [...]' opens on tuesday, 10 december from 6pm onwards. a shout out goes to ala and maha – thank you for reaching out and having me included in the show. for more information on the show please head here.

my next participation is at jameel art centre's one year anniversary event titled 'jaddaf aloud!'. the centre is hosting a full day of activities for the community-at-large, ranging from workshops, live music and performances, a makers market, and more. i'll be facilitating a stamp-printing on various surfaces workshop between 4 – 5.30 pm for everyone interested, targeting children and young creatives. 'jaddaf aloud!' happens on friday, 13 december from 2 – 10pm. if you want a fun day out with your friends or family, please come down. for more information, please head to the event page here.

lastly, i will be facilitating a final set of workshops for tashkeel's 2019 winter camp series. 'tashkeel winter camp 2019' happens on 15 – 19 december, hosting a variety of fun workshops for children and young creatives from the ages of 8 – 14. i will be offering a 'stamp patterns on textiles' workshop on sunday 15 december, where participants will create stamps to print various patterns on textiles, inspired by animal skin patterns (or anything they really fancy to be honest!). i will be hosting the workshop twice on the same day – from 10am – 1pm for kids 8 – 11 years of age, and from 2 – 5pm for kids 12 – 14 years of age. for more information and to register for the morning session (10am – 1pm), please head to the workshop page here. and to register for the afternoon session (2 – 5pm), head here.

if you're in abu dhabi (or plan to go soon), make sure to check out the exhibition 'how to maneuver [...] which runs until 16 feb 2020 (my birthday!). and if you're in dubai this friday, do come with family and loved ones and say hi at 'jaddaf aloud!'. and if you want to get your children's hand's dirty with some fun printing on textiles, please sign up for tashkeel's winter camp workshops. hope to see you all at one (or all) of these upcoming events!

sketchbook safari

'sketchbook safari' workshop e-vite . 2019

happy 48th to the country i call home! and what better way to celebrate than by signing up for a 'sketchbook safari'! 

it's been awhile since i've facilitated a walkabout around 'old dubai'. the last one was way back in 2015 (see here). 4 years later, i'm happy to be offering 'sketchbook safari' with the support of my tashkeel fam! the one day safari will focus on exploring areas around the creek on foot, starting in bur dubai then crossing over via abra to deira, all with a sketchbook in hand. participants will respond to drawing prompts during the safari, sketching moments and observations they find interesting or exciting. by the end of the safari, i hope everyone will have lovely sketchbooks filled with drawings of moments they'd like to cherish forever.

sketchbook safari happens on saturday 7 december, from 10am – 2pm. the meeting point will be tashkeel al fahidi (house 10) in the historical neighbourhood in bur dubai. for more information and to signup, head to the workshop page here.

looking forward to meeting sketching enthusiasts very soon. don't forget to bring your sketchbooks, and make sure to wear comfortable shoes.

* update on 5 december 2019: 'sketchbook safari' has been canceled due to lack of signups. hopefully we'll be able to offer the workshop again some time soon, while the weather is still good.*