thanks 2022

on the dance floor . 2022

and here we are, another year comes to a close. and i look back at how it all was on what is now my annual, end of year blog post...

for the first time since the pandemic, life felt slightly familiar to how it was before covid entered our lives. and yet 2022 still came with a lot of sad news – the world felt like a complete mess at times, disputes and health scares amongst loved ones, and what felt like non-stop announcements of people passing away. i think 2022 reminded me of how life is short, precious, and something to be grateful for. and i need to prioritise time towards things i love and the people i love. my circle of friends felt so much smaller this year, but maybe that's a good thing – all i need are a handful of friends and my handful of a family to move forward, because my dislike for people isn't going away any time soon...!!!

and speaking of dislike, my feels towards the local art scene hasn't really changed. i still feel disappointed, excluded, and bored. there is a sameness of ideas and artists constantly on rotation, which makes me feel discouraged to even try to involve myself in these mediocre conversations anymore. i have been shocked by many practitioners and institutions this year, choosing to work with the same names and faces, and 'mentoring' artists towards practices that look like imitations of what already exists. it seems like to succeed in this art bubble one needs to follow a template of making 'conceptual' art and aim towards some sort of institutional representation and/or validation. i guess i'm not ticking the right boxes...

with that said, my professional practise this year was quite fulfilling and rewarding, considering this was quite a slow year. i didn't get as much work as i generally do throughout the year, but whatever i did manage to work on was joyful, and made me realise where i should invest more of my time and energy. illustration is where my heart is, and if it means having a career as a commercial illustrator, i wouldn't mind that at all. i also realised that print and printed matter is something i definitely want to pursue more next year. i love working on (and buying!) zines, publications and comics, and i worked on quite a few this year. i think i'm also ready to make a line of print based products – let's see if that comes to fruition. speaking of print, i'm also beginning to define my voice as a [print] textile artist/designer. i love making textiles that share stories on talismans, transcen[dance] and joy. i hope i make more time next year to continue growing this part of my practise.

i think what surprised me the most this year was having multiple opportunities of exhibiting my work internationally. my illustrations and textiles traveled to italy, egypt, lebanon and albania! it feels great knowing my work is being seen by new, international audiences. it also made me realise that maybe, just maybe, it's time to look outwards for opportunities, and not only rely on the contrived art bubble i'm in. i do fear that maybe my work isn't good enough, or doesn't translate well outside the uae. here's to taking a leap and finding out in the new year.

i want to end this post by mentioning that i danced as much as i could this year. and oh how wonderful it is to be on a dance floor again without any rules or inhibitions. to quote one of my favourite artists nick cave "[...] the dance floor saved my life [...]". i've built this amazing community of friends old and new, meeting on the dance floor on weekends and feeding off each other's energy. i can't explain how wonderful it is to have this again, and i hope 2023 doesn't take any of it away like the last few years did. which is what i decided my end of year print would be about – to celebrate the return of where i'm at my happiest. 'on the dance floor' is a three-colour stamp print i created to gift loved ones.

thanks 2022, for not being a complete s***show like the last few years! whatever you threw at me, good or bad, i am truly blessed. season's greetings, and happy new year to everyone reading this. may 2023 be good to us all, and bad energy stay far away...

fifth flavor x sole dxb

fifth flavor x sole dxb (for online) . 2022

fifth flavor x sole dxb (for print) . 2022

i was approached by fifth flavor, a small pan-asian themed restaurant based in dubai to work on an illustration for their participation at sole dxb, dubai's annual sneaker/urban festival. the brief was pretty straight forward – cool illustrations representing dubai, the urban street style culture that's found at sole dxb, and most importantly their food.

i think the final results you see above are quite fun! they selected two variations of the same artwork – one for posting on social media, and one for printed collateral.

sole dxb happens from 9 – 11 december. if you're reading this, please stop by fifth flavor and try out their food. it looks delicious! also, you might snag a lil' surprise with my illustration printed on it *wink*

lastly, a huge thank you goes out to the fifth flavor sisters – thank you aisha and noor for the opportunity.

sway

sway . 2022

sway . 2022

sway . 2022

sway . 2022

over the summer, i was approached by the manarat al saadiyat team to participate in their "artists' swings" project where invited artists would design a swing bench that would be installed at their venue. i happily accepted and worked on a swing that i called 'sway'.

'sway' was created using my existing stamps of dancing silhouettes imprinted over bold abstract shapes and colours. the final swing initially had fringe pinned underneath, which fluttered as one would swing back and forth. unfortunately, the fringe pulled off with time *sniff*. but i think the bench itself is still quite successful without it.

if you're in abu dhabi, make sure to pass by manarat al saadiyat to check out the "artists' swings" installation in person, and have a look at all the swings designed by each invited artist. and most importantly, make sure to have a little swing on 'sway'...

a day at granny's

a day at granny's (page 1) . 2022

a day at granny's (page 2) . 2022

a day at granny's (page 3) . 2022

a day at granny's (page 4) . 2022

a day at granny's (page 5) . 2022

a day at granny's (page 6) . 2022

"a day at granny's" published in "corniche" comics anthology vol. 4 . 2022

i'm happy to finally share my new short comic "a day at granny's", which is included in this year's edition of corniche, a comics anthology published by the sharjah art foundation.

through the years, i've seen my mum become a cartoon version of herself as she took the mantle as grandma to her grandkids. and like any grandma, she showed her love in the best way she could. this short story is dedicated to the hilarious relationship between my nephews and their grandma. it's also a little homage to some of my favourite stories about witches that fed my imagination as a kid (bedknob & broomstick, hocus pocus, the witches). i hope you enjoy this little story that's filled with a little bit of magic, humour, and the human condition.

corniche is now available. make sure to grab a copy – it's filled with some amazing talent and wonderful short stories and comics. it's truly an honor to be published alongside some great friends and peers, as well as being printed in all four volumes of corniche so far. thank you to the corniche team for making that happen...

focal point 2022

 

'focal point' announcement . 2022 (courtesy of the sharjah art foundation)

it's that time of year again...my favourite cultural event in the uae is back. i'm so excited for the focal point art book fair, hosted by the sharjah art foundation. if you're based in the emirates, and a lover of books, this is a must go to event!

i plan to be there and spend some cash on loads of books and printed matter! plus, my latest issue of 'fade away & illustrate: fawazine' will be available at the fair. there will be a limited amount of copies up for sale, so make sure to get there early to grab a copy. lastly, i'm also happy to announce my latest short comic is included in the fourth volume of 'corniche', a comics anthology. more on that in a future post...

focal point will be happening on the last weekend of november, from 25th to 27th. and 'corniche' will be launching on the first day of the fair so make sure to be there to get a copy and maybe meet some of the artists! for full details on focal point and programming, check out the event webpage here. until then, see you all at focal point...

feeling catty

cat dad(dy) . 2022

 

happy halloween! i hope everyone is having a fun day with spooky costumes and lots of treats. i rarely dress up for halloween anymore, but this year i went out to dance as a cat dad(dy)! i came up with my costume on the day – a handy cat mask that i found at home, black tee and shorts, a harness bag, metal chain and my favourite halloween themed sneakers! i didn't take any photos – i guess you had to be there to see it *wink*
the idea for the costume also came about because of my recent appreciation for cats ever since covid. at home, we have cats that have called our garden their home, and i've become a cat dad ever since. dare i say, i love those critters...

fawazine

 

fade away & illustrate issue 003 'fawazine' cover (design by khalid mezaina) . 2022

fade away & illustrate issue 003 'fawazine' . 2022

after a six year hiatus, my illustration themed zine 'fade away & illustrate' is back! i wish it didn't take this long since the last issue (see here). life got in the way, and this little zine slowly faded away...

the third issue's theme is inspired by 'fawazeer ramadan'. for those who aren't familiar, fawazeer ramadan were egyptian musical television shows that aired during ramadan in the late 1970s – 2010s. families in the arab world would gather around the tv after breaking their fast to watch every episode – solving riddles, mesmerized by the costumes, choreography and set designs. these shows were absolutely joyful, and one would probably define them today as camp! with time, fawazeer ramadan slowly became obsolete. it seemed like people weren't interested in them anymore. but their impact never went away. 

i hope issue 003 acts as a legacy of an important moment in arab pop culture. aptly titled 'fawazine', this issue includes some of my favourite artists and illustrators. a huge thank you goes to all the contributors – this issue is really special thanks to each of you.

a final thank you goes to hind mezaina, for inviting azim al ghussein, lina younes and myself earlier this year to speak about fawazeer ramadan and the impact they had on each of us (more on that here). i hope fawazine is a way of bringing more voices into the conversation, and showing how we all share connected stories with fawazeer ramadan.

fawazine is finally out and available in the world. please get in touch if you'd like a copy. and stay tuned for announcements on where to purchase fawazine in the uae and/or online.

to end this post, i'd like to dedicate fawazine to all the fawazeer ramadan icons and divas – including samir ghanem, nelly (my personal favourite), and the one and only sherihan...

khaleej modern

khaleej modern young person's guide wraparound cover . 2022

khaleej modern young person's guide illustrations . 2022

khaleej modern young person's guide illustrations . 2022

khaleej modern young person's guide illustrations . 2022

khaleej modern young person's guide illustrations . 2022

khaleej modern young person's guide illustrations . 2022

khaleej modern young person's guide . 2022

i had the pleasure of working on the young person's guide for nyuad art gallery's latest exhibition 'khaleej modern: pioneers and collectives in the arab peninsula', curated by dr. aisha stoby. i personally love the youth guides the gallery publish for their exhibitions (check out past ones here). i was so happy being approached to work on one, especially for an exhibition that shares the same initials as me!

i was in charge of the illustrations and layout design for the guide. i'm really happy with how it turned out in the end – a cartoon version of the curator guiding us through some of the highlighted works in the show, asking the reader to think and respond to what they see. i've shared examples of some of the illustrations included in the final guide, and a lil' gif that goes through the entire publication.

i have to thank the nyuad art gallery team for the opportunity. a huge thanks to alaa edris for reaching out and having me on board. it was such a pleasure working together on this project. the khaleej modern exhibition runs until the end of the year, so make sure to check it out, and do pick up a copy of the young person's guide in the process!

everybody say hobb

hobb bookmark artwork (front + back) . 2022

printed hobb bookmarks . 2022 (image courtesy of hobb)

i designed a lil' bookmark for a special lil bookshop! my friend and talented designer haifa malhas has been running an online bookstore called hobb (which means 'love' in arabic) that focuses on art and design titles. earlier this year, she took it a step further and set up a physical bookshop. it's such a great, quaint space and i love having an indie bookstore in my city!

i had the pleasure of working on a bookmark design for the shop. each purchased book will come with a little bookmark designed by me! it was a fun little project i immensely enjoyed. i love seeing my dancing silhouettes on these little bookmarks promoting the love for print.

congrats haifa on the opening of the store and i wish you all the best with it. and thank you for having me be a (little) part of hobb's story. i suggest everyone reading this must go check it out and buy a book or two – there are some great titles that aren't easy to find. let's support small businesses and our love for print...

in search of magic

'in search of magic' announcement . 2022 (courtesy of the jameel arts centre)

so it's been quite a few months since i've updated my blog. i think i've been digitally exhausted, and needed a break from constantly updating my online channels, including awful social media! but i think the break has given me the space i needed to come back and share updates, including upcoming projects that i'm really excited about.

with that said, i'm so happy to announce my participation in this year's 'jameel library commissions' by the jameel arts centre. i'll be nerding out in the jameel library over the next 12 months, using the library as a resource to research all things textiles, talismans, and anything in between.
titled 'in search of magic', the project will unfold every month with writings published online, as well as a new textile piece which will evolve throughout the year-long commission. i'm really looking forward to this project, and excited to see what i come up with over the upcoming year. i'm so grateful for the opportunity, and i can't thank the jameel team enough for providing me the space and platform to develop my practise through research, writings and a new textile piece.

for whoever's reading this, i hope you can join me on this magical journey. the project has it's own website, with monthly writings published alongside a selected reading list sourced from the jameel library. please check out and subscribe to https://insearchofmagic.jameelartscentre.org/ 

lastly, if you ever visit the library space, you might catch a glimpse of the textile piece, which will be installed during it's many stages as it develops during the course of the commission.

inspiring cultures to connect

inspiring cultures to connect (left wall) . 2021

inspiring cultures to connect (middle wall 1 of 2) . 2021

inspiring cultures to connect (middle wall 2 of 2) . 2021

inspiring cultures to connect (right wall) . 2021

'inspiring cultures to connect' at the australian pavilion . 2021 (image courtesy of the australian pavilion)

'inspiring cultures to connect' at the australian pavilion . 2021 (image courtesy of the australian pavilion)

'inspiring cultures to connect' at the australian pavilion . 2021 (image courtesy of the australian pavilion)

'inspiring cultures to connect' at the australian pavilion . 2021 (image courtesy of the australian pavilion)

a little late in sharing this, but here's my last expo 2020 dubai related project that i worked on. i had the pleasure of collaborating with australian artist tyrown waigana for the australian pavilion's 'vip canberra majlis' veranda. tyrown and i collaborated on a digitally illustrated mural that was installed throughout the entire balcony. titled 'inspiring cultures to connect', the final artwork merges both our cultures, combining references of indigenous australian culture with my interpretation of emirati culture and hospitality. responding to tyrown's dreamlike representation of the aboriginal 'songline', i thought of sitting by a fireplace at night, sharing stories in the oral tradition and the hospitality of native desert dwellers.

i really think we came up with a pretty awesome design, considering both of us were working on this in different countries and timezones, and only met online over zoom! it was a real pleasure working with tyrown, and probably one of the smoothest collaborations i ever worked on.

a huge thank you goes to the australian pavilion team for the wonderful opportunity and support. i end this post with a little video about the project where you hear tyrown and myself talk about our little collaboration. enjoy!

at my own pace

untitled . 2022

i haven't been updating my blog with many new projects since the year started, as i'm still catching up on sharing stuff from last year! at the same time, i'm also taking things slow, not taking on too many consecutive projects, and working at my own pace that isn't stressful. i'm still coming out of the end of 2021 madness i.e. multiple expo + national day projects, and don't want to rush into saying yes to everything that comes my way. with that said, i have been working on a couple of exciting, new projects that i can't wait to share.

i write this post as the first day of eid al fitr has just been announced, and we have one more day left for ramadan. which also means, i look forward to getting back on the dance floor! early eid mubarak wishes from me to you, and i hope ramadan was a month filled with blessings for all.

here's a recent two colour stamp print i worked on in the studio. i love making these prints of silhouettes in moments of dance. maybe this motif will lead to a bigger project. let's see if it does, at my own pace...

seven sands

coco jalila uae 50th national day commemorative chocolate box design (final) . 2021

coco jalila uae 50th national day commemorative chocolate boxes (final) . 2021

here's another project i worked on for the uae's 50th national day celebrations, this time for coco jalila. coco jalila is one of my favourite clients, and i'm so happy to have designed another special chocolate box for them (see first box design here).

for the uae's golden jubilee, i wanted to work on something that was a little different than the usual visuals of flags and 'emirati' motifs. i immediately thought of the 'seven sands of the uae', where each emirate is know to have a distinct colour of sand. i worked on these coloured dune shapes that stack over each other to represent the different coloured sand dunes of each emirate, and can also represent the different flavours of chocolate in the box!

the final box also includes the coco jalila logo printed in gold foil to subtly represent the uae's golden jubilee, and give it an elegant touch. 

i'm really happy with how it turned out, and i hope whoever came across these enjoyed it too, including the chocolates! if you haven't tried their chocolates yet, what are you waiting for – order coco jalila chocolates now! #supportlocal

flora of the uae

acacia . 2020

desert cotton . 2020

ghaf . 2020

ochradenus . 2020

salt bush . 2020

oasis environmental panels at the uae pavilion, expo 2020 dubai . 2021 (courtesy of the uae pavilion)

oasis environmental panels at the uae pavilion, expo 2020 dubai . 2021 (courtesy of the uae pavilion)

oasis environmental panels at the uae pavilion, expo 2020 dubai . 2021 (courtesy of the uae pavilion)

oasis environmental panels at the uae pavilion, expo 2020 dubai . 2021 (courtesy of the uae pavilion)

oasis environmental panels at the uae pavilion, expo 2020 dubai . 2021 (courtesy of the uae pavilion)

as expo 2020 dubai comes to a close at the end of the month, i thought i would share a couple of projects i worked on with some of the pavilions at the fair. first up is the uae pavilion – i was asked to illustrate a selection of indigenous plants from the emirates which were applied onto informational panels in the 'oasis' garden around the pavilion.

i was really happy to be accepted for this project. i learnt so much about plants that grow here, something i usually take for granted when distracted by life in the city! i worked on these illustrations in the very hot summer of 2020 where covid was all the news. and since expo was pushed for the following year, there was plenty of time to work on these and deliver a well resolved series of minimal plant drawings.

i've only shared a selection of illustrations from the complete series (12 in total). there's a few others shown in the photographs above as well. if you're reading this and might've seen these panels in person, hope you enjoyed the illustrations! a big thanks goes to the uae pavilion for the opportunity. and congratulations on your presence and success at expo.

birthday giggles

portrait . 2022

it's that time again – i'm a year older, a year wiser. i decided to take a break from posting about ongoing projects to share with you an illustration of myself laughing hysterically on the verge of passing out! for those who know me, this is a very common state to find me in after hearing or watching something i find hilarious. i am easily humoured, and i'm truly blessed for all the laughter in my life, finding the brighter side to this sometimes sad and heavy world. i hope i continue to be this way, and have the right people surrounding me to join in on the laughs!

on this birthday, i'd like to give thanks to all the blessings that have come my way through the years. i'm really grateful for everything this life has given me so far, and count my blessings all the time. my only birthday wish this year is that whoever reads this takes the opportunity to offer a lending hand and provide some joy to others. whether it's through charities, donations, or however you see fit, i hope you can offer some sort of help to individuals and communities that are in need...

happy birthday to me! hope it'll be a good one inshallah...