vinyl souk mini festival

vinyl souk mini festival dancers . 2026

vinyl souk mini festival early bird tickets announcement . 2026

vinyl souk mini festival poster . 2026

vinyl souk mini festival lineup . 2026

vinyl souk mini festival programme . 2026

at vinyl souk mini festival, 25hours hotel dubai one central . 2026

i had the pleasure of working on the visuals for the third edition of vinyl souk's mini festival which happened on 1 feb '26 at the 25hours hotel dubai one central. as an avid music lover, this was a dream project to work on! thank you to vinyl souk's dynamic duo jayesh and serina for having me on board and for the opportunity.

some of the things i worked on included the festival's identity, poster, assets for social media and a lovely lil' programme for festival goers to take and (hopefully) keep. i haven't worked on a visual identity project in quite awhile since most clients reach out for my illustration work. this was a good exercise to get my graphic design juices flowing and i'm really happy with the final outcome. i hope festival participants and visitors liked the visuals too. it was also great seeing more of my work, even if it was just for one day, around the 25hours property alongside the existing murals i worked on years ago in the lobby (see more on that here).

this is my second time working with vinyl souk (see previous project here). it was blast working together again! here's to more collabs in the near future...

dallah door

 

dallah door . 2026

dallah door (print) . 2026

'dallah door' at the workshop dxb . 2026

'dallah door' at the urban house by the workshop dxb, sikka art and design festival . 2026

here's my second screenprint collaboration with the workshop dxb (see first print here) – 'dallah door' is a three colour screenprint inspired by the beautiful metal doors of old, traditional homes that are rarely seen today.

'dallah door' is exhibited at this year's sikka art & design festival from january 23 – february 1 at 'the urban house' by workshop dxb. in case you missed it at sikka, 'dallah door' is also on display at the workshop dxb's hq shop at alserkal avenue alongside other great prints.

i'm really happy with how this turned out – thank you to the workshop dxb's ahmad for the opportunity to exhibit once again, and for sorting out printing. 'dallah door' is an edition of thirty and available for sale. and just like it's predecessor, it would make me so happy to hear that these new prints sell out.

lastly, for those asking, the arabic word 'dallah' (دلة) refers to the traditional arabic coffee pot! 

the paper lesson

'the paper lesson' i . 2025

'the paper lesson' ii . 2025

'the paper lesson' iii . 2025

'young voices of arabia 2025' publication . 2026

i had the opportunity to work with voices of future generations (vofg) once again (see previous post here) on the 2025 edition of 'young voices of arabia', an annual publication for young creative writers between the ages 8 – 12 to submit short stories for the opportunity to be published (if selected). and with every edition, each story is supported with illustrations by invited artists and illustrators.

the story i was assigned to illustrate this year was 'the paper lesson' by twelve year old mariam saeed khalifa aldarmaki – a sweet story about caring for the environment and learning innovative ways of sustainability for a better, cleaner world. i hope you're happy with my interpretation of your story maitha!

'young voices of arabia 2025' is now available in english and arabic. for more information head to vofg's website. thank you team vofg for having me on board for four consecutive books so far!

artmap 31

artmap 31 . 2026

 

artmap 31 cover . 2026

artmap 31 listings – galleries . 2026

artmap 31 listings – community & maker spaces . 2026

artmap 31 listings – museums, art institutions/foundations & heritage spaces . 2026

artmap 31 listings – performance, digital art & film . 2026

artmap 31 listings – educational institutes & libraries . 2026

artmap 31 listings – fairs, festivals, biennials & auction houses . 2026

artmap 31 – maps . 2026

artmap 31 – dubai art season supplement cover icons . 2026

artmap 31 – dubai art season supplement (cover) . 2026

artmap 31 pull-out poster & interview . 2026

hello from the first post of 2026! i hope the new year has been off to a good start so far...

sharing the first project of the new year – i worked on the latest issue of artmap, a bi-annual publication by thejamjar and dubai culture & arts authority, highlighting art and cultural events happening around dubai and the rest of the emirates.

i worked on a series of illustrations for artmap used for the cover, 'listings' sections and 'dubai art season 2026' supplement cover. they were quite a lot of illustrations to work on but i'm really glad with how they all came together. my favourite illustration from the series is of the map, which is a nod to the neighbourhood i live in (i've incorporated personal narratives in the other 'listings' illustrations as well. can you guess what they are?!)

the issue also includes a pullout poster of the window illustration i worked on for thejamjar's twentieth anniversary (see here) for people to colour in. it's wedged between a short interview with me by laura egerton about my practise over the last (nearly) two decades.

i'm truly honoured to have such a major presence in this issue of artmap. i have to thank thejamjar/artmap teams and dubai culture & arts authority for the opportunity to be featured, as well as recognising my work and practise.

artmap issue 31 is currently out and be found across all major art and cultural institutions around town. be sure to pick up this very special issue and share the love...

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 fourteen 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, blue note records, kylie minogue, beyoncé, natalie imbruglia, purple disco machine, charly black, kes the band, 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'...