lost in oz

lost in oz . 2012

i personally enjoy creating new original artworks for upcoming exhibitions. it keeps my creative juices flowing & helps improve my drawing skills.

i was asked to participate in the australian edition of 'crossing the line', where artist's from the middle east will showcase contemporary line drawings & artworks. i showed 'new direction' at the first edition held in dubai. i don't have the artwork anymore as it's been auctioned off for charitable purposes, which meant figuring out a new piece for australia.

i wanted to create something with the same visual aesthetic as 'new direction'. so i came up with the piece you see above, appropriately titled 'lost in oz'! there isn't much to explain, other then during the process, a lot of 'good' mistakes happened! the intention was to make the final piece look incomplete & minimal. so when the green overlay didn't completely print (was supposed to go across the page), i was actually satisfied with the error that occurred!

the exhibition will take place from the 14th july at the langford 120 gallery in melbourne, australia. stay tuned on the gallery's website for updates on the show...

summer is here...

creative summer . 2012

it's that time of year again, where the sun pays us long, hot visits & holiday is a mental state of mind! since summer already started here, it's time to take things easy & make the most of the beachy weather!

here's wishing all the krossbreed lovers a great summer. enjoy the break, always stay hydrated & make the most of it before it's gone.

have a creative summer folks...

rivers of the world part 3

river city . 2012

river culture . 2012

river of life . 2012

polluted river . 2012

resourceful river . 2012

working river . 2012

they're finally here!!! after 6 school workshops, 2 blog posts (see part 1 & part 2), scanning hundreds of children's artworks, & 3 months of intensive collaborative work with maie atabani, i finally present the final artworks created for the rivers of the world project. 

i'm really happy with the results & how each artwork is so different in character but still work as a set. i hope all the participants & organizers surrounding the project are pleased with the results as much as we are. i can't wait for the artworks to be displayed in my favorite city in the world, london, where dubai will be featured alongside other countries that have participated in this great project. i'm also quite curious to see how other submissions from around the world look. guess we'll find out in september!
a sentence or 2 on each of the individual artworks can be found below for those who would like to know more:
river city: student-made collages representing dubai's historical development & growth around the creek, which has grown ever since in the last 4 decades.
river culture: simple illustrations made by students to represent the daily findings & activities found around the creek.
river of life: water-colour paintings of the diverse habitat found around the creek, including birds & insects, compiled to create a dense, jungle-like final piece.
polluted river: student's inkblot prints composed to create a monster-like creature from the seas, reflecting the disadvantage of development, i.e. pollution.
resourceful river: the 'monty python' inspired piece! student's surreal collages of quirky & monstrous vehicles representing the creek as a mode of transport.
working river: stenciled imagery of dubai's labour force & other iconic imagery, representing the very crowded & busy creek as a centre for work & trade locally & internationally.