http://www.salqass.com Salqass Sat, 29 Dec 2012 04:54:12 +0000 http://www.salqass.com en http://salqass.com/PechaKucha-Night-Sharjah http://salqass.com/following/salqass.com/PechaKucha-Night-Sharjah Sat, 29 Dec 2012 04:54:12 +0000 Salqass 4672446 <img src="http://payload118.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/4672446/posterfinal8.jpg" width="600" height="900" width_o="600" height_o="900" src_o="http://payload118.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/4672446/posterfinal8_o.jpg" data-mid="24892191" border="0" align="left"/> Poster for PechaKucha Night Sharjah. 36 x 24 in. Poster for PechaKucha Night Sharjah. 36 x 24 in. http://salqass.com/Arabish http://salqass.com/following/salqass.com/Arabish Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:20:31 +0000 Salqass 3258216 With the influx of foreign cultures and economic globalization, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is undergoing a major identity transformation. While many feel the threat of this transformation on the Emirati identity, some use it as an inevitable process to be embraced. I believe that the UAE is not losing its identity, it is creating a vivid new one. This new identity is Arabish. Arabish, initially known as a hybrid form of text messaging—where Latin characters are used to replace Arabic pronunciation—is now more than just that. It is a way of speaking and a way of life, especially for the mainstream Emirati youth. As a designer, I address this emerging Arabish culture from a personal and global perspective. Graphic design is a powerful method of research and communication. I use it as a means to comment on hybrid cultural elements—dress, language, and urban landscape. It is my vehicle, helping me and others better understand the UAE identity and its emerging Arabish culture. With the influx of foreign cultures and economic globalization, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is undergoing a major identity transformation. While many feel the... http://salqass.com/Masjid http://salqass.com/following/salqass.com/Masjid Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:07:14 +0000 Salqass 3258058 <img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258058/roof4.jpg" width="670" height="473" width_o="700" height_o="495" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258058/roof4_o.jpg" data-mid="16700368" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258058/top12.jpg" width="670" height="536" width_o="1280" height_o="1024" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258058/top12_o.jpg" data-mid="16700136" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258058/wordsdoneprayer.jpg" width="670" height="536" width_o="1280" height_o="1024" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258058/wordsdoneprayer_o.jpg" data-mid="16700139" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258058/IMG_0940sm.jpg" width="670" height="446" width_o="1037" height_o="691" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258058/IMG_0940sm_o.jpg" data-mid="16700132" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258058/IMG_0940Edited.jpg" width="670" height="446" width_o="1037" height_o="691" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258058/IMG_0940Edited_o.jpg" data-mid="16700133" border="0" align="left"/> The United Arab Emirates is a bilingual country. Arabic is the official language, and English is the commercial one. As a result, English & Arabic are seldom represented separately. However, because of the many international brands and franchises making their appearances in the UAE, the Arabic script is designed to look like the Latin, hence compromising the authenticity of the Arabic script—which is excusable for keeping both scripts looking consistent for the brand. I felt the need to design something the other way around where the English would look like the Arabic. I found an Arabish culture in Rhode Island and decided to create an identity for them. I designed a brand for the 6 mosques in Rhode Island, not limiting myself to identity creation, but rather redesigning the mosques themselves by adding a courtyard to enhance the sense of community. I first created logos for each of the mosques, then created a brand manual that would be used for the mosques, then took one mosque and redesigned it competely. I added a courtyard on the rooftop of the mosque and added furniture out of foam. The furniture are English and Arabic letterforms that form the 5 pillars of Islam; creed, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and pilgrimage. The United Arab Emirates is a bilingual country. Arabic is the official language, and English is the commercial one. As a result, English & Arabic are seldom... http://salqass.com/Here-There http://salqass.com/following/salqass.com/Here-There Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:09:55 +0000 Salqass 3258023 <img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258023/1.jpg" width="670" height="446" width_o="700" height_o="467" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258023/1_o.jpg" data-mid="16699752" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258023/2.jpg" width="670" height="446" width_o="700" height_o="467" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258023/2_o.jpg" data-mid="16699753" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258023/3.jpg" width="670" height="446" width_o="700" height_o="467" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258023/3_o.jpg" data-mid="16699754" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258023/4.jpg" width="670" height="446" width_o="700" height_o="467" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258023/4_o.jpg" data-mid="16699755" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258023/5.jpg" width="670" height="446" width_o="700" height_o="467" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258023/5_o.jpg" data-mid="16699756" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258023/6.jpg" width="670" height="446" width_o="700" height_o="467" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3258023/6_o.jpg" data-mid="16699757" border="0" align="left"/> With the influx of foreign cultures and economic globalization, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is undergoing a major identity transformation. For that reason, I feel that I am constantly being pulled back and forth between my Emirati and Islamic traditions, and my American way of life and education. I—like many other fellow Emirati citizens—was in denial of the new identity the UAE is creating for itself. I was threatened by it and was afraid to accept the cultural transformation taking place. Today, I view this transformation as an inevitable process to be embraced. I believe that the UAE is not loosing its identity, it is creating a vivid new one. This new identity is Arabish; a hybrid culture of Arabic and English. This project is a representation of the Arabish culture and a visual metaphor of cultural belonging. The words “here” and “هنا” were placed in different areas of the UAE and New York City. By adding the letter “T” to “here” and “ك” to “هنا” the words become “There” and “هناك”. 21.6 x 14.4 in. With the influx of foreign cultures and economic globalization, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is undergoing a major identity transformation. For that reason, I... http://salqass.com/Muslim http://salqass.com/following/salqass.com/Muslim Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:32:57 +0000 Salqass 3247626 <img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3247626/muslim5.jpg" width="670" height="1005" width_o="670" height_o="1005" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3247626/muslim5_o.jpg" data-mid="16699464" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3247626/muslim2.jpg" width="670" height="1005" width_o="700" height_o="1050" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3247626/muslim2_o.jpg" data-mid="16699029" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3247626/muslim3.jpg" width="670" height="1005" width_o="700" height_o="1050" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3247626/muslim3_o.jpg" data-mid="16699030" border="0" align="left"/> Self-portrait posters part of a larger project on investigating identity. Text reads "Muslim". Set in Providence, Rhode Island. 36 x 24 in. Self-portrait posters part of a larger project on investigating identity. Text reads "Muslim". Set in Providence, Rhode Island. 36 x 24 in. http://salqass.com/Transformation http://salqass.com/following/salqass.com/Transformation Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:27:13 +0000 Salqass 3253064 <img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3253064/12.jpg" width="670" height="492" width_o="700" height_o="515" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3253064/12_o.jpg" data-mid="16694973" border="0" align="left"/> Transformation was a website designed to reveal the dramatic transformation that the UAE witnessed within a few years. The website shows Google satellite images of different sites in the UAE and how they have transformed within just a few years. The slider was created to reveal and compare the images of "then" and "now". Transformation was a website designed to reveal the dramatic transformation that the UAE witnessed within a few years. The website shows Google satellite images... http://salqass.com/Arabish-Arabic-English-Typographic-Hybrids-in-the-City http://salqass.com/following/salqass.com/Arabish-Arabic-English-Typographic-Hybrids-in-the-City Sun, 22 Apr 2012 07:41:54 +0000 Salqass 3252312 Arabish has become a popular way of communicating among the young generation in the UAE. It was first used as a way for Arabic speakers to communicate when ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) was the only language used in SMS and internet platforms. Arabic speakers had to adopt Latin graphemes to be able to communicate. Numerals were used to replace Arabic phonetics not found in the Latin alphabet. Although many other non-Latin script users communicated in ASCII using Latin characters like Japanese, Chinese, and Greek; Arabic users continue to use Arabish as a way to communicate even on UNICODE devices. In this animation, Arabic letters and their English numeral replacements were created to morph into one another. The idea was to allow the animation software to render complex hybrid forms—out of the two characters—automatically without my interference. The hybrid forms were then placed against the structures of the city of Dubai. The music for this piece was created by editing "Samai Bayati (Maqam bayati)—Classical Arabic Orchestra of Aleppo & Ahmad Hariri" and mixing it with "Dex—edIT". The idea was to create a unique hybrid sound—mixing electronic music with the Arabic Oud—that is consistent to the feel of the video. Arabish has become a popular way of communicating among the young generation in the UAE. It was first used as a way for Arabic speakers to communicate when ASCII... http://salqass.com/Ta-abeer http://salqass.com/following/salqass.com/Ta-abeer Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:40:45 +0000 Salqass 3252275 <img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252275/IMG_0944_700.jpeg" width="670" height="446" width_o="700" height_o="466" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252275/IMG_0944_700_o.jpeg" data-mid="16664180" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252275/IMG_0945_700.jpeg" width="670" height="446" width_o="700" height_o="466" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252275/IMG_0945_700_o.jpeg" data-mid="16664181" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252275/IMG_0946_700.jpeg" width="670" height="446" width_o="700" height_o="466" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252275/IMG_0946_700_o.jpeg" data-mid="16664182" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252275/IMG_0947_700.jpeg" width="670" height="446" width_o="700" height_o="466" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252275/IMG_0947_700_o.jpeg" data-mid="16664183" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252275/IMG_0948_700.jpeg" width="670" height="446" width_o="700" height_o="466" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252275/IMG_0948_700_o.jpeg" data-mid="16664184" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252275/IMG_0949_700.jpeg" width="670" height="446" width_o="700" height_o="466" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252275/IMG_0949_700_o.jpeg" data-mid="16664186" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252275/IMG_0950_700.jpeg" width="670" height="446" width_o="700" height_o="466" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252275/IMG_0950_700_o.jpeg" data-mid="16664187" border="0" align="left"/> Ta3abeer (Ta'abeer) is a collective expression by a group of artists and designers based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on what constitutes the Emirati identity and its cultural landscape. The collaborators were first interviewed then invited to create an artwork inspired by the conversation. The artworks were then rotated around to other participants to edit and add upon—creating an exquisite corpse effect. Ta3abeer (Ta'abeer) is a collective expression by a group of artists and designers based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on what constitutes the Emirati... http://salqass.com/Slash-and-Burn http://salqass.com/following/salqass.com/Slash-and-Burn Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:34:09 +0000 Salqass 3252254 <img src="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252254/slashandburn_700.jpeg" width="670" height="1005" width_o="700" height_o="1050" src_o="http://payload47.cargocollective.com/1/6/207811/3252254/slashandburn_700_o.jpeg" data-mid="16664020" border="0" align="left"/> Public awareness poster on the agricultural technique of slash and burn. The poster reads "Slash and burn causes 54% of deforestation". 24 x 36 in. Public awareness poster on the agricultural technique of slash and burn. The poster reads "Slash and burn causes 54% of deforestation". 24 x 36 in. http://salqass.com/Arab-Western http://salqass.com/following/salqass.com/Arab-Western Sat, 21 Apr 2012 23:00:15 +0000 Salqass 3251989 The Arabic alphabet is filled with diacritical marks. The removal or addition of any mark to a word may change its entire meaning and pronunciation. Adding a dot on the first letter of the word Arab will change its meaning to Westerner. The diacritical dot replaces the first letter with another letter, therefore changing its meaning. This is me in transition, read right to left, عربي (Arab) to غربي (Westerner) by simply adding a dot. The Arabic alphabet is filled with diacritical marks. The removal or addition of any mark to a word may change its entire meaning and pronunciation. Adding a dot...