For the first time outside of the United States Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop arrived in the Middle East. A journey through four decades of photographs, memorabilia, album and magazine covers that document Hip-Hop culture.

Manarat Al Saadiyat in collaboration with Sole hosted the exhibition in Abu Dhabi. We worked closely with the Sole team to bring the vision for the show to life developing the exhibition’s brand identity, show design and marketing materials.

The exhibition is curated by Vikki Tobak, creatively directed by Fab 5 Freddy and produced by Joseph Patel. Featuring over 200 images by 60+ photographers including; Janette Beckman, Barron Claiborne and Jorge Peniche. Photographs are displayed alongside original contact sheets. The contact sheets give an intimate look into the photographer’s journey during the shoot and unrivalled insight into the personality of the subject in front of the camera.

A highly engaging experience was developed in partnership with the Sole team. Lightboxes were utilised to highlight specific moments and unique displays designed to showcase some of hip-hop’s most iconic pieces. Minimal wall and floor graphics were used to enhance the overall experience and helped guide visitors around the show.

A range of marketing materials were created for the show from billboards, exhibition catalogues and flyers to a comprehensive social media and digital campaign.

Neue Helvetica Condensed is used as the main typeface, set in capitals. Arabic texts are set in 29LT Bukra.

Nomadic Traces: Journeys of Arabian Scripts explores the role that scripts have played in defining and preserving the cultural identity of past and present civilizations, and on the migrational and transformative nature of writing, and its ability to freely cross borders and cultures. The exhibition focuses on the development of some of the key Abjads (consonantal alphabets) of the Middle East. It poetically links the past with the present, revealing the wealth of the region through its many scripts, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Musnad, Palmyrene, Nabatean, and early Arabic (Jazm).

The exhibition was conceived and curated by Dr. Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès, and presented and produced by and presented at Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi, UAE, in partnership with Khatt Foundation. It also features newly-commissioned works by artists and designers from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine.

Featured artists and designers include Nasser Al-Salem, Sarah Al-Agroobi, Nadine Kanso, Ghita Abi-Hanna, Milia Maroun, Khalid Mezaina, Rasha Dakkak, Hamza Omari, and Xeina Al-Malki.
Research team: Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès, Ranim Al-Halaky, Afra Bin Dhaher, Sheikha Bin Dhaher, Dina Khorchid.

The Founder’s Memorial is a permanent national tribute dedicated to commemorating the life, legacy and values of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE. — The Founder’s Memorial

The 2018 New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Research Conference opened yesterday, showcasing the University’s innovative interdisciplinary research which addresses some of the world’s most pressing questions while furthering new knowledge and discovery. The conference is ongoing from November 5 - 7 and highlights the role that NYUAD plays as a hub for education, scholarship, and advanced research in Abu Dhabi. — Press release, New York University | Abu Dhabi

For the conference identity, 29LT Bukra is used throughout.

Entanglement posters . تشابك / تشوش / تحابك / تورط / تراكب / تداخل

Now exhibited at:

1. Rasm: Contemporary Arabic TypoGraphic Posters 2008—2018. at 1971 Design Space, The Flag Island, P.O. BOX 62392 Sharjah, UAE.

2. 100 Best Arabic Posters / أفضل ١٠٠ ملصق عربي . at Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi, Mina Zayed, Street Samrayr, Warehouse421, PO Box 62086, UAE.

Kair, the kid fashion label of the Fine Fair India Group, approached design studio Kmzero for a complete redesign of their brand identity. The new Kair visual identity had to express the brand values of motherly protection and care: in order to convey this message on a global scale, Armonioso was chosen as the primary typeface, with Coco Gothic serving as a complementary typeface for longer texts and further communications. Both typefaces were designed by Zetafonts.

An elegant contemporary Arabic and Latin typography is at the core of the corporate identity of Shawati’ Magazine, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The design and layout of the magazine demanded the creation of a unique Arabic and Latin display typeface. The Arabic is inspired from both Naskh and Thuluth calligraphic styles while the Latin is drawn based on the Modern Serif Roman style.

The letterforms are drawn with extreme refinement and high contrast between the thick and thin pen strokes that convey modernity in a stylish approach, simultaneously, for Latin and Arabic, with many elements bringing them together like weights, contrast and proportions.

Each letter of the Shawati’ typeface has been designed individually; making sure all had the extreme thick and thin pen strokes. This extreme contrast was coupled with strong cuts and edges to give the font a strong and crispy feel.

The Arabic letters are drawn with a free hand approach. The descenders are cut in an elegant thin open stroke. The loop structures were drawn with extra-extended strokes with thin endings, as opposed to the traditional fully circular or triangular approach. The weight of the tooth in the letters is a balance play between thick and thin strokes that lend the letterforms a contemporary feel with a sturdy structure.

Originally created for exclusive use in Shawati’ Magazine in 2010, the typeface was subsequently further developed and released for general licensing as 29LT Zeyn in 2014.