There was an array of interesting speakers at NUQAT Design Conference 2012 this year. Talks concerning contemporary use of Arab Islamic Art and Arabesque were addressed from Graphic Design, Type Designers, Products Designers, Jewelry Designers, Industrial Designers, Photographer, Calligraphers, etc.
From my part, I gave a talk about my journey in the Arabic Type Design field and gave a workshop about Kufic Arabesque constructions.
The Khatt Foundation Type Design Workshop
Hosted by Tashkeel & Pavilion Downtown Dubai, 21 – 25 October 2011
5 Days workshop, 3 Days Lecture Series by several renowned Arab designers.
Workshop leaders:
Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFares, Lara Assouad Khoury, Pascal Zoghbi
Guest speakers: Wissam Shawkat, Sheikha Bin Dhaher, Salem Al Qassimi
1 Poster Exhibition (outcomes of workshop)
My talk Urban Arabic Graffiti within Political Arab Crisis at AtypI Dublin 2010 was a continuation of the lecture about Arabic graffiti in Lebanon that i gave at Notre Dame University part of the City Street Conference on the 18th of November 2009.
“فتح” “Fateh”, Gaza. Photo taken from the book “Gaza Graffiti” for Mia Gröndahl.
The Typographic Matchmaking 02 promotional/teaser posters were displayed in the Khatt Foundation section at the Waqif Art Center in Souk Waqif, Doha, Qatar. The exhibition was part of the Doha Calligraphy Biennale.
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Arabic Letter “Yeh” of Seria Arabic type drawn with coffee, ink and dantelle pattern.
Students in the Advanced Typography course at the Lebanese American University [LAU] were asked to experiment with textures/patterns and try to apply them on existing bi-script Arabic/Latin fonts in-order to create their own experimental fonts. The students were handed the outlines of Seria Arabic and Fedra Arabic.
10 Questionnaires from Beijing Typography 2009 conference.
Answered by Pascal Zoghbi.
The Interview was published in the BT09 Book Catalogue.
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A two days workshop at Zico House for design instructors from Dar Al- Hekma College. July 2009.
Display Arabic type created by Ghinwa.
I give a lecture on Arabic type at AUS (American University of Sharjah) on the 28th of April 2009. Design professionals and students from the UAE attended the lecture and participate in the Arabic type discussions that followed. A kufi workshop followed on the 29th and 30th of May for the seniors of AUS.
Mrs. and Mr. Kufi Monsters. ;)
Najla did the left pattern and Dina the right one.
Creating Arabic adaptations for existing Latin logotype is not a matter a copy pasting (chopped-up & collage) letter parts from the Latin to create the Arabic, but a real understand of both Latin and Arabic script and the ability to work professionally with both of them. The Arabic adaptation should be drawn from scratch keeping in mind the proportions and characteristics of the Latin logotype.
Mike, LAU Byblos — Sketches for Chaos Arabic logotype adaptation.
I will be giving a lecture about the present state of Arabic Type and Typography at The Royal Library in Stockholm organized by A4.
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On the 4th, 5th and 6th of November I took part of an Arabic graffiti workshop which was given by the German graffiti artist Mr. Don Karl. It was great to finally meet up with Lebanese graffiti artist and get to know the people behind the graffiti and tags in Beirut.
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Being an Arabic Kufi Script freak, i have lately designed a modern Square Kufi pattern for my car. :)
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Makram Daou (jawmas)
How to integrate Arabic Calligraphy into modern design layouts?
In the past few years the Arabic calligraphy was a comeback into modern logotypes and contemporary design layouts. Read the rest of this entry »
3D square Kufi workshop at LAU [ Lebanese American University]
A small workshop in the “Type Design” course at NDU involving the creation of hybrid Latin words using basic letter components from Arabic letter-forms. English and French words created from Arabic letters.
Through out November and December in Beirut, I had giving : 1. a lecture entitled “29letters” about my Arabic type project and type design process at AUB, 2. a presentation about EL HEMA project alongside the Arabic team (Wael, Kj, Maria & Raya) at NDU Zouk and NDU North, and 3. took part of the event, lecture and exhibition of the “Khatt Fonts: Matchmaking Amsterdam – Beirut” with Huda Abifares and the Arabic team.
On the 28th and 29th of August I gave a workshop for non-Arab participants during the El Hema Exhibition at the Mediamatic Workshop area.
You can read more about the workshop in the following links:
Kufi Workshop in Amsterdam at Mediamatic, Amsterdam.
Brief intro of the Kufi Workshop
Giving some comments on the primarily kufi patterns.
Here are some pictures. Enjoy. Read the rest of this entry »
The following article is a brief description of systems and guidelines used in Arabic calligraphy and Arabic type design field to achieve proportional and harmonious Arabic letters. This article is intended for typography students and beginners in Arabic type design.
Some work of my students from the “Fundamentals of Design I” course at NDU. Brief 01 is to represent the Lebanese roads and highways while Brief 02 is to document traditional Lebanese fast food merchants and shops. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Vernacular Kufi’ is a new approach that I thought of in order to introduce the kufi workshop to the AUB Typography II students and make them interested in it.
Students of the ‘Applied Typography’ course at NDU were asked to do an Arabic or Arabic/Latin monogram for a fake textile company. Here are some pics of the sketching process.
I will be giving a lecture at Notre Dame University on the 20th of November about the recent history of Arabic type and the type design process.
This workshop is part of the Fundamentals of Typography course at NDU. The students are asked to create a kufi pattern or logotype from their first names.
