today at apple...with me

today at apple's art lab w/ khalid mezaina invite . 2019

i am happy to announce that i will be giving a talk and workshop at the apple store in dubai mall, as part of october's programming for 'today at apple' – a monthly series of talks and workshops for those interested in getting a bit creative! october also marks the 2019 edition of the big draw festival – a visual literacy charity that promotes drawing as a tool for expression, learning and invention. i am truly honoured to be one of the invited participants for today at apple's inclusion and support of the big draw festival.

titled 'art lab: a 10-year retrospective with khalid mezaina', my talk will look back at my art practise over the last ten years. as 2020 marks a decade of my blog and career as an artist, i thought it would be a good idea to share my journey over the years, some examples of works, and sharing my experiences in the creative industry in dubai.

after the talk, there will be a short workshop exploring drawing with analog and digital tools, and how they can complement each other. in my practise, i tend to draw manually for almost every project, but digitally drawing does comes in handy, especially when working with tight deadlines, or if you want a clean, crisp look to your final product. the workshop will start with participants drawing with a pencil or pen on paper, and then move onto drawing digitally using an ipad and apple pencil. the workshop will conclude with a brief feedback session on everyone's works, discussing what was successful (or not) when working on drawings using both manual and digital tools.

please save the date and i hope you can make it on tuesday, 15 october, from 7.00 - 8.30pm. for more information and to mark your calendar, head to the event page on apple's website here. looking forward to seeing you all...

blaze

'blaze' mini comic . 2019

illustrations for 'blaze' mini comic . 2019

i recently participated in another super fun zine making workshop organised by nasir nasrallah and the sharjah art foundation (see previous post on first workshop here). the second iteration invited comic artists and illustrators to work on mini comics over the course of 3 days (with a little extension added after). once again, the results from the workshop would be included in this year's edition of the focal point art book fair. the theme for this year's fair is zines and comics, so i personally am really excited for it, and even more ecstatic to be a part of it. what's even more exciting is that all the collected results from the workshop will be compiled into a publication, which will be launched at the fair. it's going to be an amazing anthology, and i can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

the mini comic i came up with is titled 'blaze' which is inspired by a graffitied creature i stumbled upon on one of my many nights out in deira. it was the last thing i thought i would find as i drove around the area in search of parking! i instantly fell in love with this character, and had to stop the car to take a picture. there was the word 'blaze' tagged next to it, so i assume that's the name of the creature, or perhaps the name of the creator of this little fellow! i absolutely fell in love with this spontaneous gesture on a wall, and wanted to tell a story with 'blaze' as the main character. the 10 page mini comic is a short story of a passerby's encounter with the creature called 'blaze', and the adventure that came next.

it was so much fun working on this, and it's great hearing what people think about it when i show it to them. if you're reading this post, i hope you enjoy it too! to nasir and the sharjah art foundation – thank you once again for an amazing workshop and inviting me to be a part of it. to more workshops like these in the near future.

don't forget, make sure to come to the focal point art book fair in november. stay tuned for a future post announcing the fair and the dates. until then, i end this post sharing a photo of the original graffitied 'blaze' that inspired the mini comic you see above. and by chance, if the artist behind the graffiti below reads this, i hope you like the mini comic you inspired. please reach out – we should catch up over a coffee!

photograph of original 'blaze' graffiti in deira . 2019

capes come home

'capes make the man' at tashkeel's 'the alumni return' . 2019 (image courtesy of tashkeel)

'capes make the man' at tashkeel's 'the alumni return' . 2019 (image courtesy of tashkeel)

'capes make the man' at tashkeel's 'the alumni return' . 2019 (image courtesy of tashkeel)

'capes make the man' at tashkeel's 'the alumni return' . 2019 (image courtesy of tashkeel)

'capes make the man' at tashkeel's 'the alumni return' . 2019 (image courtesy of tashkeel)

'capes make the man' at tashkeel's 'the alumni return' . 2019 (image courtesy of tashkeel)

'capes make the man' at tashkeel's 'the alumni return' . 2019 (image courtesy of tashkeel)

'capes make the man' at tashkeel's 'the alumni return' . 2019 (image courtesy of tashkeel)

i am so happy to be a part of tashkeel's current exhibition 'the alumni return', showcasing eight masters thesis projects by artists who traveled to pursue graduate level education in the arts, and have moved backed home over the last year or so. not only am i exhibiting alongside some of my closest friends and peers, i'm so happy to be exhibiting my project 'capes make the man' in my hometown, and in the institution i call my second home.

it was great hearing people's thoughts on the work during the exhibition opening, comparing it to people's reactions back in the united states during my time at risd. the audience over here immediately get the references and the motifs adorning the capes, and understood the reasoning behind the project when explaining the backstory behind it. along with the exhibited artworks, our thesis dissertations/books are also out on view in the library upstairs during the duration of the show, for anyone interested in reading our individual writing components to our thesis. you definitely won't miss mine, which is in a zine format then a formal dissertation paper! 

the show is quite exquisite, with works ranging from textiles, printmaking, sculpture, sequential art (aka comic books), video and performance. even though eveyone's projects are so different, there are connecting threads and narratives throughout the show – themes on a sense of longing, missing 'home' whilst away, personal stories and commentaries. if you're reading this, please do check out the exhibit, and take in some amazing thesis works. plus the show is filled with freebies, including a variety of stickers by my capes for people to take, as well as soap by my friend and fellow exhibitor azim al ghussein, and a beautiful catalogue which documents the exhibition and the artworks included.

the exhibition is currently open and running until october 29. for more information on 'the alumni return' head to exhibition page on tashkeel's website here. make sure not to miss the exhibition programming, including panel talks and workshops, all mentioned in the exhibition page – just keep scrolling!

thank you tashkeel for allowing my thesis project to be exhibited a year on after graduating from risd. it's such an honour to be showcasing these pieces in dubai – my capes finally came home.

come curious, leave inspired

nyuad the arts center season 19/20 cover final (front/back) . 2019

nyuad the arts center season 19/20 cover application on collateral . 2019

nyuad the arts center season 19/20 cover (digital) . 2019

dancing figures used in pattern . 2019

i'm very happy to be sharing the cover i designed for the new york university abu dhabi (nyuad) the art center's 2019-2020 season programme. i was approached by the center's team during my time at risd, and was unfortunately unable to work on it as i was occupied with school. but i'm so glad that they waited until i moved back home to work together.

for the cover, the brief was pretty simple – they wanted a fresh take for their cover, and have a minimal approach in comparison to their previous editions. i also had to work around this season's theme which was 'come curious, leave inspired'. with that in mind, i began working on a pattern which at first glance looks like an ordinary, organic pattern. but when taking a closer look, one notices the pattern is made up of overlapping and repeating dancing figures! it made sense to me to create a pattern based on choreography for the art center since their programming is filled with performances which include dance and various forms of movement on the stage.
the project went through a series of rounds until we settled on the final design you see above. the final design includes a narrow application of the pattern on the right end of the cover over a red background (this season's main theme colour). i've also shared some of the iterations for the cover at the end of this post which i thought were pretty fun.

to end this post, i'd really like to thank clive from the art center for initially reaching out and working together on this cover. i look forward to working together on future editions if the opportunity arises. and if anyone reading this is in abu dhabi, make sure to head down to nyuad to pick up a copy, and also make sure to attend some of the shows and performances – it's a really good season.

nyuad the arts center season 19/20 cover (round 1) . 2019 

nyuad the arts center season 19/20 cover (round 2) . 2019

nyuad the arts center season 19/20 cover (round 3) . 2019

fridaze

fridaze . 2019

i wasn't going to post this illustration on my blog, but i'm really happy with how it turned out and the story behind it, so why not! i stumbled upon a photo of myself on the interwebs, of me dancing at one of the afrobeats themed nights here in dubai. i was obviously consumed in the moment, completely unaware of my surroundings and that there was a photographer close by. i was just completely invested in the music and dancing.

the photograph online is hilarious – it's as if i was possessed or in a state of d(tr)ance! i just had to draw it and capture the energy via illustration. and what you see above is the final result of a spontaneous illustration i worked on last night. i tried a few new things on this – looser drawing lines and colouring and playing with textures and brushes.

keeping this short and sweet – hope you like this! and if you realllllllllllly want to find the photo this illustration was inspired by, try to find it here!

the alumni return

'the alumni return' e-vite . 2019

i'm happy to announce my participation in tashkeel's upcoming group show 'the alumni return', exhibiting thesis projects by recent mfa and ma graduates who studied abroad over the last 4 years and returned to the uae. i'm really excited to be exhibiting amongst many of my friends. we all traveled and experienced our versions of a masters programme away from home, and have come back changed humans and artists (hopefully for the best!).
i will be exhibiting my thesis project 'capes make the man' for the first time in the uae, and i'm really excited to be showcasing my thesis work at home. i'm curious to see how the audience here responds to the works compared to people in america. i hope everyone who gets to see it enjoys it as much as i did working on it.
photos will definitely not do justice to any of the works in the show, so please please please make sure to come down to the opening or during the duration of the exhibition to see the projects in person. 'the alumni return' opens on tuesday 17 september at 7pm, and runs until 29 october.
see you all at tashkeel for the opening of 'the alumni return' (insert star wars theme music here!!!)...

keep on rovein'

rove city centre's 'cabinet of curiosities' . 2016 (image courtesy of rove hotels)

laundromat mural at rove trade centre . 2017 (image courtesy of rove hotels)

rove trade centre's 'cabinet of curiosities' . 2017 (image courtesy of rove hotels)

 

laundromat mural at rove healthcare city . 2017 (image courtesy of rove hotels)

here's a post that's long overdue – i've been working with rove hotels for the last few years, supplying murals and art prints for their multiple properties around the city. with the support of the team at capsule arts, this relationship has continued to flourish over the years and i'm truly proud to have my work in most of the rove hotels around town. 

i've shared my first project for rove when they launched back in 2016 with rove downtown (see post here). over the next few years, the briefs have been quite similar, either replicating certain artworks for their various locations, or creating new works to fit with the theme and location of a specific property. it's great to see the laundromat mural, which was first created for rove downtown, being replicated and slightly revised for use in their other properties as well, including rove healthcare city and rove trade centre.

besides the mural, i've also been included in additional 'cabinet of curiosities' which are collections of artworks, imagery and objects that are displayed in the lobbies of the hotels, giving a sense of the surrounding area the hotels are located in. as seen here, i have a selection of prints included in rove city centre's 'cabinet of curiosities', focusing on deira, and the 'cabinet' at the rove trade centre which focuses on satwa and jafiliya neighbourhoods. for the deira theme, i provided a patterned print from my observations textiles series, a photograph of my tanak collection, and a couple of illustrations including 'leylam' and a new cafeteria storefront illustration (see end of post). included in the satwa/jafiliya themed 'cabinet' are a couple of illustrated prints, including the satwa print from my neighbourhood series, and a coloured illustration of a tailor in satwa, originally included in my never forget publication.

it's great seeing my work, both old and new, presented in the many rove hotels around dubai. thank you capsule arts for always putting my name forward, and to the team at rove for always having me on board! stay tuned for future rove projects...

al abra cafeteria . 2016