you spin my dervish round

you spin my dervish round . 2016

dervish sketches (lyrical foreground) . 2016

untitled abstract (instrumental background) . 2016

i wasn't going to create a post about this little project i worked on for my picturing sound course (illustrating for music) at risd. but with the recent passing of dead or alive's frontman pete burns, i felt i should.

one of the assignments in the class was to create an illustration inspired by two musical pieces – one instrumental and one lyrical. the instrumental component would be the abstract background while the lyrical component would be the representational foreground. the two songs selected were 'ocean drive' by miami nights 1984 as the instrumental component, and 'you spin me round (like a record)' by dead or alive for the lyrical component.
the end result is a fun gif of a whirling dervish spinning within a glitchy, 80s themed background. i really enjoyed this experimental approach to representing music. just to show you how the gif works with music, here's a link with audio on my instagram page.
i dedicate this post to pete burns. 'you spin me round (like a record)' is one of my favorite songs of all time. it makes me want to get up and dance and sing really loudly every time i hear it. they definitely don't make music like this anymore. thank you for giving this world one amazing track. its definitely left its mark in the history of pop music. rest in peace pete.

man, myth, maiden

man . 2016

myth . 2016

maiden . 2016

at 'east – east' exhibition . 2016 (photo courtesy of sophie arni)

at 'east – east' exhibition . 2016 (photo courtesy of sophie arni)

at 'east – east' exhibition . 2016 (photo courtesy of sophie arni)

at 'east – east' exhibition . 2016 (photo courtesy of sophie arni)

last week marked the exhibition opening of 'east – east: uae meets japan' (see event information in previous post here). i am one of four participating artists, invited to create artworks based on cultural similarities between emirati and japanese cultures.
i created three fun illustrations inspired by japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints from the edo period. heavily influenced by the aesthetic of ukiyo-e prints, 'man', 'myth' and 'maiden' are three figures from emirati culture – the powerful male, the mythical figure from our oral heritage and traditional past, and the conservative, elegant female. the final illustrations are a fun, theatrical tribute to a culture that i love and has influenced my work many times.
if you're in abu dhabi or the uae, please do make sure to check out the exhibition, which runs until 31 october 2016. for more information check out these links via nyu abu dhabi: here and here.
lastly, i'd like to thank the exhibition curator sophie arni, for reaching out earlier this year and inviting me to participate in her show. i wish you all the best and hope 'east – east: uae meets japan' flourishes. also, a special thank you to my friend layan for being my liaison with sophie back home while i'm miles away at risd.

bedknob & broomstick

bedknob & broomstick . 2016

amor magazine issue #26  . 2016 (photo courtesy of fn designs)

inside spread from amor magazine issue #26 . 2016 (photo courtesy of fn designs)

i'm happy to announce my inclusion in amor (a magazine of random)'s latest issue. illustrators were invited to submit cover redesigns of their favorite book. i chose a book that i loved to read while growing up, and still do on occasion –'bedknob & broomstick' by mary norton. 

the final design is a simple pattern of the magical bed and broom the characters used in the story, traveling in time and around the world. if you ever manage to get a hold of bedknob & broomstick, do read it as it's purely magical. you can also watch the movie, but like always, the book is way better!

make sure to get your copy of amor by heading to fn designs located in alserkal avenue. i'm happy to be a part of this issue, alongside some great illustrators. 

lastly, while on the topic of amor, i would also like to share a recent interview in their 'artist of the month' series. check out the interview here.