In the second part of our series Middle East’s Design World, we dig into the Arabic Cover Design Archive. As the name implies, it’s “an Arabic cover design archive.” The archive is very large and diverse with posters, illustrations, all kinds of different book cover designs such as children’s book cover designs, hardcover designs, -even an Othello book cover design- etc. By conveying the history, change, and development of the Middle East’s design world with cover designs, Arabic Cover Design Archive offers a wonderful experience that also reflects the connection between culture and design.
Moe Elhossieny is the founder of the Arabic Cover Design Archive and Design Repository, which is a “digital space of accumulation, assembly, and dissemination of knowledge about design in Egypt and the SWANA.” Arabic Cover Design Archive is a project by Design Repository and the project is supported by Barjeel Art Foundation, “an independent UAE based initiative to manage and exhibit a collection of modern & contemporary Arab art” & also Pro Helvetia Cairo, “The Swiss Arts Council @prohelvetia Posting from Cairo #ProHelvetia_Cairo“
Founder of Arabic Cover Design Archive: Moe Elhossieny
“I am Moe, the founder, and design director at Design Repository. I recently graduated from Central Saint Martins with an MA in Graphic Communication Design. Broadly my interest in design is where it intersects with other disciplines, especially philosophy, psychology, technology, and sometimes, other ology’s. I believe that good design is functional, contextual, and culturally relevant. While being thoughtful, ethical, challenging, and beautiful. I like to observe people and listen. I am convinced that a designer should always be problem conscious as much as a problem solver, always able to rethink existing problems while detecting new ones. I believe that design is at its best when able to engage with social issues and offer alternative narratives for the present and the future.”
Nazar, volume 3, Collection of articles by Moḥieddine el-Labbad appeared for the first time in Sabaḥ el-Khair magazine in 1985. Book and cover design: Moḥieddine el-Labbad, Published by: Al-A’rabi, Cairo, 2003.
Title: Lucifer Laughs,
Publisher: Dar Al Tahrir – Egypt
Author: Salah Zehni,
Year: 1955,
Designer: Still in process
Title: undying poems,
Publisher: @alarabipd,
Author: Mohamed Ibrahim Abosenna,
Year: 1981,
Designer: Research in progress
Title: The Hills,
Publisher: Dar Aladab – Beirut,
Author: Hani Al Raheb,
Year: 1988,
Designer: Nagah Taher
Book: Arabic Alphabets, from the series “Before the School”.
Publisher: Dar Al-Fata Al-Arabi, Experimental Arabic workshop for Children books, Beirut and Cairo.
Illustrations by: Mohieddine el-Labbad.
Date: 1985, 2nd Edition.
Size: 10.5 x 16.5cm, Pages: 60
Title: The structure of theatrical writing in Morocco,
Publisher: Dar Althaqafa – Casablanca,
Author: Mohamed Al Kaghat,
Year: 1986,
Designer: Mohamed Al Rehani
ʻUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, by Mahmoud Salem, Illustrations by Helmi el-Touni,Ppublished by Arab Institute for Research & Publishing, 1977, Beirut.
Alī ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib, by Mahmoud Salem, Illustrations by Helmi el-Touni, Published by Arab Institute for Research & Publishing, 1977, Beirut.
Karim Aldin Albaghdadi. This is a series for kids, called “our kids”
Imogen Crossland paints scenes that reflect the moments of joy like gathering, dancing, eating, drinking, swimming, partying in her multicolored and textured works.
Marcelo Lavin is an artist and a digital animator from Mexico, who draws vibrant colored digital illustrations. Influenced by surrealism, his artworks are intriguing visuals of contemporary Mexican culture.
Our interview series’ first guest is Kenichi Kuromaru. We love hearing their stories because there is no definitive, single way to be a successful designer.
French-born, Chicago-based Julia Dufossé is a self-taught designer & illustrator. Combining the inspiration from the airbrush aesthetics of the 70s and 80s with her own style in digital, she creates dazzling, dreamy, glowy, and slightly hazy illustrations.
Middle East’s Design World #2: Arabic Cover Design Archive
In the second part of our series Middle East’s Design World, we dig into the Arabic Cover Design Archive. As the name implies, it’s “an Arabic cover design archive.” The archive is very large and diverse with posters, illustrations, all kinds of different book cover designs such as children’s book cover designs, hardcover designs, -even an Othello book cover design- etc. By conveying the history, change, and development of the Middle East’s design world with cover designs, Arabic Cover Design Archive offers a wonderful experience that also reflects the connection between culture and design.
Moe Elhossieny is the founder of the Arabic Cover Design Archive and Design Repository, which is a “digital space of accumulation, assembly, and dissemination of knowledge about design in Egypt and the SWANA.” Arabic Cover Design Archive is a project by Design Repository and the project is supported by Barjeel Art Foundation, “an independent UAE based initiative to manage and exhibit a collection of modern & contemporary Arab art” & also Pro Helvetia Cairo, “The Swiss Arts Council @prohelvetia Posting from Cairo #ProHelvetia_Cairo“
Founder of Arabic Cover Design Archive: Moe Elhossieny
Moe Elhossieny is Founder & Design Director from Cairo, Egypt. He defines himself in his Behance account as:
“I am Moe, the founder, and design director at Design Repository. I recently graduated from Central Saint Martins with an MA in Graphic Communication Design. Broadly my interest in design is where it intersects with other disciplines, especially philosophy, psychology, technology, and sometimes, other ology’s. I believe that good design is functional, contextual, and culturally relevant. While being thoughtful, ethical, challenging, and beautiful. I like to observe people and listen. I am convinced that a designer should always be problem conscious as much as a problem solver, always able to rethink existing problems while detecting new ones. I believe that design is at its best when able to engage with social issues and offer alternative narratives for the present and the future.”
Follow Moe Elhossieny on Behance, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Arabic Cover Design Archive on Instagram
h/t: @khazanet.alkutub
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