scripts and calligraphy: a timeless journey

scripts and calligraphy: a timeless journey e-announcement . 2021

i have another international exhibition announcement to make – i'm exhibiting my work in saudi arabia!

if you happen to be in saudi, please do attend the 'scripts and calligraphy: a timeless journey' exhibition at the national museum in riyadh. the exhibition is an extensive look into the art and history of calligraphy and the arabic script. i'm included in the second iteration of the 'nomadic scripts' showcase, curated by huda abifares of the khatt foundation (check out a previous post of my participation in the first 'nomadic traces' here).

nomadic traces 2.0 continues to highlight historical scripts that preceded arabic through designed objects. i'm so happy to be exhibiting my 'if speech is silver...' textiles series once again, especially in saudi where some of the selected scripts i worked with on my pieces originate from the area. along with the three existing pieces that were exhibited in 2019, i also have a new piece specifically commissioned for the show – here's a previous post about the entire collection.

'scripts and calligraphy[..]' runs until 21 august 2021. if you check out the exhibition, please share pictures if you can, as i unfortunately won't be able to attend. hopefully i'll share exhibition/installation photos in a future post...

east – east: vol 4: the curio shop

'east – east: vol 4: the curio shop' e-announcement . 2021 (courtesy of sophie mayuko arni)

i'm exhibiting in tokyo!!! i'm very happy to announce that i am part of the fourth volume of the 'east – east' group show. i participated in the first two volumes back in 2016 (see volume 1 & volume 2), and was my last exhibition in the emirates before moving away for the next two years to pursue my mfa. i'm so glad to be back for the fourth edition, this time in japan!!!

curated by sophie mayuko arni, the exhibition will spread across three venues around tokyo between june and july. please find more information on the exhibition below:

east – east: volume 4: the curio shop

as asia is increasingly gaining traction as the new cultural epicenter, the ‘east – east’ exhibition series aims to explore the layers of cultural exchange at play between contemporary artists from the arabian gulf and japan.

this fourth volume’s title is ‘the curio shop’. inspired by the title of felice beato’s photograph taken in yokohama in 1868, this exhibition seeks to transpose the idea of the 'curio' in today’s tokyo. 'curios', a 19th-century abbreviation for 'curiosities', is used to describe works of fine craftsmanship sold in japan to early foreign settlers. two centuries later, instead of lacquerware and porcelain vases, anime and digital art have emerged as today’s japanese curios. in the gulf, images of postmodern architecture have emerged as some sort of 'jpg curio', instantly recognisable images of its booming economy. this exhibition will present a contemporary version of a cabinet of curiosities blending these two geographies together.

part i: june 18 – july 2, @ hb.nezu

part ii: july 1 - 24, @ ily hub

part iii: july 8 - 23, @ block house b1f

if anyone's in tokyo, please do check out the exhibition(s). tokyo is one of my favorite cities in the world, and has inspired me in so many ways. i haven't been to tokyo since 2006, but it left such a great impression on me. i can't wait to go back and visit when the world is in a better place.

thank you sophie for including me in your exhibition again. can't wait to see how it all looks once opened – stay tuned for photos in a future post...

crowntee

'crowntee' illustration . 2021

 

those who know me know how important music is to me. it's always been an important part of my life – songs that have connections to so many memories and individuals in my life over the last 30+ years! like nietzche said, 'without music, life would be a mistake'...i can't agree more.

so when music related projects come my way (which aren't very often), i never pass up the opportunity. i was approached by nasser alqatami, the man behind loft965, to create a cover artwork for his latest playlist. in case you don't know, loft965 is a music blog from kuwait that started in the late '00s, which i have been following ever since. it was (& still is) a great resource with up to date news from the music world, featuring announcements, news, and great playlists! i was lucky to finally meet nasser at the end of last year, hitting it off immediately, and keeping up with each other's knowledge and love for music.

for his latest playlist, titled 'crowntee', the brief was pretty simple – create an artwork for a pop infused playlist filled with pop queens, princesses, and few of the boys! also, nasser wanted to honour sarah harding, one of the members of pop group 'girls aloud', who is unfortunately battling late stages of cancer. she has a song titled 'wear it like a crown', and that's pretty much where the idea for the artwork came from.

i think the spontaneity of working on this led to a fun illustration which we both really liked. plus it's a step closer to making my dreams of working on album cover artwork come true! thank you nasser for asking me to do this. it's truly an honour to be asked to share my work on a blog that i've followed for so many years.

please make sure to listen to the 'crowntee' playlist here. it's a fun listen, and definitely has something for everyone...

ramadan 2021

ramadan e-card . 2021 (by azim al ghussein + khalid mezaina)

it's that time of year again – ramadan greetings to all those observing. may this month be filled with blessings and answered prayers...

i was invited by the shaikha salama bint hamdan al nahyan foundation (shf) to work on their ramadan e-greeting card which would be shared through their social media accounts and newsletter. i had the honour to work with my > + ∞ (great + everlasting) collaborator, azim al ghussein on an artwork we're both very proud of.

we were inspired by the devotional act of 'tasbih' – uttering the various names of god using prayer beads or one's fingers, and the cycle of the moon. i think we were successful in creating something quite magical and beautiful. we're both very happy with the version you see above, but the foundation moved forward with a simpler version as their final e-card to share on their channels (see artwork below). 

we're happy with both e-cards, and hope you enjoy them too (wherever you come across these). thank you to team shf for the opportunity to create and share our work. head to their instagram page and share the love! and thank you azim for working together on this. to future collaborations inshallah...

shf ramadan e-card . 2021 (by azim al ghussein + khalid mezaina)

stamping rugs at spring camp

spring camp: stamping rugs workshop e-vite . 2021

calling all parents with children aged 8-12 – tashkeel's spring camp is back!!! there are some exciting workshops happening from march 28 until april 1. i'll be teaching a 'stamping rugs' workshop where children will learn how to print patterns onto a textile surface, using stamps they've created. it'll be super fun, and teach children how to can come up with multiple pattern designs through repetition!

'stamping rugs' will be on thursday, 1 april 2021, from 10am – 1pm. for details and registration click here. keeping with covid restrictions, the number of participants are limited to five, so make sure to register asap! and if anyone's interested in seeing what other workshops are being offered at spring camp, check out the workshop listings page here.

first day of spring

mama mima . 2021

it's the first day of spring, and i'm ready to update my blog! i took a couple of months off from posting anything over here and on my socials. i think i just needed a break from feeling the need to constantly update my digital platforms. besides things being very slow over the last couple of months, i myself wanted to take things slow, live a more gentler life. i'm reading a lot, listening to my vinyls, and feeding a family of cats that decided to call our garden shed their home!

i'm happy to say that things are slowly picking up again in the work department. i've been receiving emails for projects which is great. i'm currently working on a couple of cool assignments, so stay tuned for upcoming blogposts about it all. until then, i wanted to commemorate the first day of spring! spring's a time for renewal and rejuvenation, so here's hoping the next chapter in everyone's life is nothing but positive. maybe we'll be able to get rid of covid once and for all!

in the arab world, the first day of spring also marks mother's day. so here's wishing all the mothers out there! it's not easy being a mum, but they do their best. blessings to all the mothers out there, and to my mum, who gave nothing but her best. i really enjoyed working on this illustration of her. i hope she likes it too. 

*'mama mima' is what her grandchildren call her, because she refuses to be called 'grandmother'. hah...

'screen printing: expand your practice' is back

'screen printing: expand your practice' workshop e-vite . 2021

i'm so happy to announce that my workshop series 'screen printing: expand your practice' is back by popular demand! this will be my third time teaching this four week course, and i look forward to meeting a new group of screen printing enthusiasts!

due to pandemic restrictions, the number of participants is strictly limited to only five. so make sure to sign up as soon as you can! 'screen printing: expand your practice' will be held every saturday during the month of february (6, 13, 20 and 27) from 2 – 5 pm, at tashkeel. for more information and to register for the course, head to the workshop page via tashkeel's website here.

during each session, participants will be introduced to a method of screen printing, including making paper stencils, using drawing fluid and screen filler, exposing digitally printed designs onto a silkscreen using photo emulsion, and experimenting with silkscreen mono printing! whether screen printing is new to you, or if you're familiar with it and need to brush up on your skills, this workshop is for you! this is a very experimental course where you'll understand the process behind screen printing and be explorative with the process.

i end this post with a gif of some examples of prints by participants from previous editions of the workshop. as you'll notice, screen printing is fun, and can lead to some awesome results...

select results from previous 'screen printing: expand your practice' workshops . 2020