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...