https://valeriearif.com valeriearif.com Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:55:23 +0000 https://valeriearif.com en https://valeriearif.com/Ahwar-Nadah-El-Shazly Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:55:07 +0000 valeriearif.com https://valeriearif.com/Ahwar-Nadah-El-Shazly 2017 Ahwar forNadah El Shazly&amp; Nawa Recordings MISC. / ALBUM ARTWORK <img width="1920" height="900" width_o="1920" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d687aa68b7570aaee97ffd7db92b6cd45a2f52a50d52f5914808acf20d348b32/2022-11-15-Behance-Cover.gif" data-mid="199553515" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d687aa68b7570aaee97ffd7db92b6cd45a2f52a50d52f5914808acf20d348b32/2022-11-15-Behance-Cover.gif" /> In 2017 Nadah El Shazly was working on her first album, Ahwar, released with Nawa Recordings. She knew she wanted the artwork to feature a very&nbsp;intricate and vibrant painting by Marwan El Gamal in his usual hyper-detailed, organic and surreal style. And I was brought in to visualize how we could adapt the painting onto the various formats of the release and create typography and graphic elements to bring the whole thing together.&nbsp; <img width="5834" height="3698" width_o="5834" height_o="3698" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/774a593dcce5f412a0b5209bfff60d0b7e5f8aa3f1740f328b09ad2524e50db5/Artboard-2300x-min-compressed.jpg" data-mid="199553508" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/774a593dcce5f412a0b5209bfff60d0b7e5f8aa3f1740f328b09ad2524e50db5/Artboard-2300x-min-compressed.jpg" /><img width="5834" height="6848" width_o="5834" height_o="6848" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9d47ce7f0c0f79f5347ec2af87a320ef52c8032e93be26d7884e5ee9202a648e/Artboard-3300x-min-compressed.jpg" data-mid="199553516" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9d47ce7f0c0f79f5347ec2af87a320ef52c8032e93be26d7884e5ee9202a648e/Artboard-3300x-min-compressed.jpg" /> Together with El Shazly, Khyam Allami (Nawa Recordings) and Sarah El Miniawy (Simsara Music) we decided to layer the painting, with El Gamal isolating and repainting the different elements, as if peeling back into his original work and adding even more detail. And with this we were able to tell the story of El Shazly’s process in creating the album and to highlight different parts of this experience for her. In our conversations, El Shazly told me she felt she had been absorbing and collecting bits and pieces of inspiration for years, letting them sit in her head, and that she had been on a journey with no distinct beginning or end, taking things in which eventually culminated in this expression of that period for her. The shaky white line connecting the elements of the project represents this journey, tying the pieces of typography and painting together like a ribbon. <img width="5834" height="4101" width_o="5834" height_o="4101" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9efba7388fd1068b12152643d3b9286b3c6ddc93cee46d1b2d0ba5f7816e8ce3/Artboard-4-copy300x-compressed.jpg" data-mid="199553511" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9efba7388fd1068b12152643d3b9286b3c6ddc93cee46d1b2d0ba5f7816e8ce3/Artboard-4-copy300x-compressed.jpg" /><img width="5834" height="6922" width_o="5834" height_o="6922" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/63fc83e48041a3aa0f42068c36f5d2237ad397f38e0d22321ad0f5f5a001fc2a/Artboard-6300x-compressed.jpg" data-mid="199553512" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/63fc83e48041a3aa0f42068c36f5d2237ad397f38e0d22321ad0f5f5a001fc2a/Artboard-6300x-compressed.jpg" /> The custom Arabic typography was created in response to the music, referencing the electronic and at times harsh and metallic sounds used on the album as well as the very melodic and flowy nature of El Shazly’s voice. The type is sharp and angular in places, but soft and rounded in others to express this contrast which I found striking when I first listened to the tracks. In both the album as well as the painting I see themes around nature vs. technology as well as warmth and familiarity vs. tension and discord. We were able to press on&nbsp;transparent vinyls for the special limited edition release, which really elevated the object and added to the vinyl listener’s experience. The artwork was then adapted to&nbsp;cassette tape, promo CD&nbsp;and&nbsp;digital booklet, and eventually we also created tour posters for 2018. <img width="1920" height="1044" width_o="1920" height_o="1044" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/955dc20c9d68cb8af32eab2caa6ac360f54273b84d5e5600ddebe79b63dcf6e4/2022-11-13-Ahwar-Behance-IPad-An.gif" data-mid="199553513" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/955dc20c9d68cb8af32eab2caa6ac360f54273b84d5e5600ddebe79b63dcf6e4/2022-11-13-Ahwar-Behance-IPad-An.gif" /> EXHIBITIONS︎︎︎ The 2018 tour poster was selected to be part of Cairopolitan’s Cairo Prints III in 2022 and was showcased in a group exhibition at the Cairopolitan gallery and later as part of Doha Prints I&nbsp;at Studio 7 in Qatar. PURCHASE︎︎︎ It is available for purchase at the Cairopolitan store and through their&nbsp;website. CREDITS ︎︎︎ Website and portfolio designed with Mariam Khattab ︎︎︎&nbsp; Palmyra performance video by Mohamed A. Gawad, cinematography by Sarah Yahia&nbsp;and Azza Kalfat, mixing by Adham Zidan︎︎︎ The performance features Nadah El Shazly (vocals &amp; keys), Elsa Bergman (contrabass), Cherif El-Masri (electric guitar &amp; electronics),&nbsp;Konrad Agnas (drums) at Zigzag in Cairo; music arranged by Nadah El Shazly &amp; co-composed with&nbsp;Maurice Louca; produced with support from Simsara and Musikverket <img width="151" height="150" width_o="151" height_o="150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e5e84b6e44d6c049f3858f998b55c11a70c2b61cff1bf0913ded7c114df8d5f2/Artboard-87.svg" data-mid="199553504" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/151/i/e5e84b6e44d6c049f3858f998b55c11a70c2b61cff1bf0913ded7c114df8d5f2/Artboard-87.svg" /> <img width="153" height="150" width_o="153" height_o="150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6e79ced257e8ad4ac88e32fbc22e4c8d0254e2e97a4b7ae69ef9b5a4943b4ffb/Artboard-89.svg" data-mid="199553506" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/153/i/6e79ced257e8ad4ac88e32fbc22e4c8d0254e2e97a4b7ae69ef9b5a4943b4ffb/Artboard-89.svg" /> https://valeriearif.com/Mantis-v-1 Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:55:08 +0000 valeriearif.com https://valeriearif.com/Mantis-v-1 2017 Mantis v.1for Nacelle BRANDING <img width="1920" height="890" width_o="1920" height_o="890" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c2975ae19d0df528db1cc08e450f3c0d3f09a1d5b383ce8118db758b3573e9d3/web-120.gif" data-mid="199553521" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c2975ae19d0df528db1cc08e450f3c0d3f09a1d5b383ce8118db758b3573e9d3/web-120.gif" /> In 2017 I was approached by Nacelle about creating the visual identity for a new restaurant&nbsp;and&nbsp;bar&nbsp;in&nbsp;Garden City, Cairo. They had already settled on the name Mantis, which opened up many ideas for the direction of the brand identity. Mantises are very versatile and adaptable creatures; they exist in varied ecosystems and can camouflage very impressively to blend into their environment. They also symbolize&nbsp;guidance in certain ancient cultures including ancient Egyptian culture, where they were believed to be guides in the journey into eternal life. Mantises also molt (shed their exoskeleton) as they grow and so they can be thought of as a representation of growth and renewal. <img width="1920" height="1088" width_o="1920" height_o="1088" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/be5f7ab817490edcae4e91dcdd0c60b6ea07fbbbfe9a6a63b20ee62d09b8e299/website-sideline.gif" data-mid="199553523" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/be5f7ab817490edcae4e91dcdd0c60b6ea07fbbbfe9a6a63b20ee62d09b8e299/website-sideline.gif" /> The concept we ultimately chose to focus on was that of adaptability. For the logo I modified the M from the selected typeface to vaguely mimic the arms/ stance of a mantis. I then took this shape and developed a pattern that runs through the entire visual identity, tying it all together. The logo is dynamic, with 4 different versions, referencing the adaptability of the mantis: it can be convex or concave and can fit into any corner of a page/ post/ design element.In terms of color we chose to open up the palette to any shade of green, paired with black and white. The green, of course, comes from the mantis itself (although they come in various colors, but to my mind the first association is green) and also symbolizes richness and renewal - qualities that are in correspondence with the type of space we wanted to create with Mantis. Not having set colors for the brand felt like a good way to create a more relaxed&nbsp;and&nbsp;fluid brand identity and to break from the rigidity of more traditional notions of branding. It also paired well with the theme of adaptability and camouflage. <img width="1920" height="1309" width_o="1920" height_o="1309" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/218026ce25ac1a4bc109123ac0452f7ed74245fec384bcb53f0d153a97a3ee41/web.png" data-mid="199553524" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/218026ce25ac1a4bc109123ac0452f7ed74245fec384bcb53f0d153a97a3ee41/web.png" /> Overall the brand communicated an upscale dining and partying experience&nbsp;with a playful side, that focuses on community. This was the ethos of Mantis: a second home to go to after work or on the weekend for quality food, inventive cocktails, exceptional music&nbsp;and&nbsp;familiar faces. Later down the line, we decided to revisit this positioning and created a new brand identity for Mantis, based on a new brief which you can see here. <img width="1920" height="976" width_o="1920" height_o="976" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4f6f1ed3c654b73a2417435a883925536b3fbd6f61fc1ffaaf506baea7802e96/Mantis-Behance-Social-Media-Animation-Website.gif" data-mid="199553522" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4f6f1ed3c654b73a2417435a883925536b3fbd6f61fc1ffaaf506baea7802e96/Mantis-Behance-Social-Media-Animation-Website.gif" /> CREDITS︎︎︎ Website and portfolio designed with Mariam Khattab︎︎︎ Logo and pattern animation by Osman Setto <img width="151" height="150" width_o="151" height_o="150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e5e84b6e44d6c049f3858f998b55c11a70c2b61cff1bf0913ded7c114df8d5f2/Artboard-87.svg" data-mid="199553518" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/151/i/e5e84b6e44d6c049f3858f998b55c11a70c2b61cff1bf0913ded7c114df8d5f2/Artboard-87.svg" /> <img width="153" height="150" width_o="153" height_o="150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6e79ced257e8ad4ac88e32fbc22e4c8d0254e2e97a4b7ae69ef9b5a4943b4ffb/Artboard-89.svg" data-mid="199553520" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/153/i/6e79ced257e8ad4ac88e32fbc22e4c8d0254e2e97a4b7ae69ef9b5a4943b4ffb/Artboard-89.svg" /> https://valeriearif.com/Mantis-v-2 Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:55:16 +0000 valeriearif.com https://valeriearif.com/Mantis-v-2 2018 Mantis v.2 for Nacelle BRANDING <img width="1920" height="1000" width_o="1920" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/23e21f0659dc7679590c4d0ed5964e07a506ce645981185be7d46f19263048c3/Dynamic-Logo-Wide-BG-003.gif" data-mid="199553609" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/23e21f0659dc7679590c4d0ed5964e07a506ce645981185be7d46f19263048c3/Dynamic-Logo-Wide-BG-003.gif" /><img width="5835" height="3488" width_o="5835" height_o="3488" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/57db6fc81b36c59b411a8bdae2c140838bc3d5933717219e433aa4fc1ffee302/2-compressed.jpg" data-mid="199553607" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/57db6fc81b36c59b411a8bdae2c140838bc3d5933717219e433aa4fc1ffee302/2-compressed.jpg" /> Some time after the opening of Mantis in 2017, we decided to reposition the restaurant/ bar&nbsp;to reflect a more upscale and luxurious dining and partying experience. This felt more in line with what Mantis had to offer, sitting high up at the top of Cairo Capital Club in Garden City. While the first iteration of Mantis communicated a certain level of refinement, with this rebranding we wanted to present Mantis as a more&nbsp;decadent&nbsp;brand; a place where you go to treat yourself, that is rich in flavours, sounds, ingredients and experiences where you can expect an&nbsp;impeccable&nbsp;music selection and indulge in the best of everything. <img width="1900" height="642" width_o="1900" height_o="642" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/606ae0ac50b9bb363388e77e3b49583d127cc945cf7286696fc7a71e0f3e3bbb/2023-06-05-MK-001-Portfolio-Mant.gif" data-mid="199553606" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/606ae0ac50b9bb363388e77e3b49583d127cc945cf7286696fc7a71e0f3e3bbb/2023-06-05-MK-001-Portfolio-Mant.gif" /><img width="1920" height="648" width_o="1920" height_o="648" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/03a4a2c36b8de35b3f6f49e02a27b39df7adb68f687d7b3fd631d1dd67e9fbb9/2023-06-05-MK-001-Portfolio-Mant-2.gif" data-mid="199553610" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/03a4a2c36b8de35b3f6f49e02a27b39df7adb68f687d7b3fd631d1dd67e9fbb9/2023-06-05-MK-001-Portfolio-Mant-2.gif" /> We chose to keep the dynamic logo from the first iteration, as well as the pattern and the typefaces. The pattern stemming from the logo’s M was further developed to be used as a distinctive frame. We complemented those existing elements with references to art déco, the direction proposed by Studio Étre for the interiors. This felt fitting, since at the core of art déco are notions around aspiration, verticality, opulence and excess that corresponded with this revised positioning. We also added a rich Prussian blue as a brand color, and defined the shade of green (a deep Castleton green). <img width="5835" height="3405" width_o="5835" height_o="3405" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/17c08f9c53b7b18397653edc7126d3e4b27b16c767d1ca236f426c704a66ed69/4-compressed.jpg" data-mid="199553605" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/17c08f9c53b7b18397653edc7126d3e4b27b16c767d1ca236f426c704a66ed69/4-compressed.jpg" /> Finally we introduced tactile elements, with velvet-backed menus and business cards, to create a more sensory experience for guests and drive home this feeling of richness and attention to detail. This abundance of materials also came through in the idea of layering images in social media posts, many of which showed fabrics and textures. <img width="1920" height="974" width_o="1920" height_o="974" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ba25ec471727df98f16f754f2ea9994813da48dbf23424114b37218148f9eb9f/2023-06-05-MK-002-Portfolio-Mant-2.gif" data-mid="199553608" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ba25ec471727df98f16f754f2ea9994813da48dbf23424114b37218148f9eb9f/2023-06-05-MK-002-Portfolio-Mant-2.gif" /> CREDITS︎︎︎ Website and portfolio designed with Mariam Khattab︎︎︎ Logo animation by Osman Setto <img width="151" height="150" width_o="151" height_o="150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e5e84b6e44d6c049f3858f998b55c11a70c2b61cff1bf0913ded7c114df8d5f2/Artboard-87.svg" data-mid="199553603" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/151/i/e5e84b6e44d6c049f3858f998b55c11a70c2b61cff1bf0913ded7c114df8d5f2/Artboard-87.svg" /> <img width="153" height="150" width_o="153" height_o="150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6e79ced257e8ad4ac88e32fbc22e4c8d0254e2e97a4b7ae69ef9b5a4943b4ffb/Artboard-89.svg" data-mid="199553604" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/153/i/6e79ced257e8ad4ac88e32fbc22e4c8d0254e2e97a4b7ae69ef9b5a4943b4ffb/Artboard-89.svg" /> https://valeriearif.com/Gypsum-Gallery-Ahmed-Morsi Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:55:09 +0000 valeriearif.com https://valeriearif.com/Gypsum-Gallery-Ahmed-Morsi 2020 Ahmed Morsi:The Printmaking Yearsfor Gypsum Gallery EDITORIAL <img width="4001" height="2605" width_o="4001" height_o="2605" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/af10755f27fbae1a6f340b7188c263d2dde78dea0e123f993010bb163a77ba5a/1.jpg" data-mid="199553532" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/af10755f27fbae1a6f340b7188c263d2dde78dea0e123f993010bb163a77ba5a/1.jpg" /> Ahmed Morsi (b. 1930) is an Egyptian, New York-based artist, poet, and critic with a multidisciplinary career that spans&nbsp;seven decades. A member of the ‘School of Alexandria’ - a group of artists whose practices developed under the influence of surrealism in the 1940s/ 50s - Morsi’s lyrical and introspective body of work offers a powerful meditation on memory, non-belonging,&nbsp;and&nbsp;the passage of time.&nbsp; In 2020 Gypsum Gallery wanted to create a publication showcasing Morsi’s prints. In the 1970s he had developed his printmaking practice as an investigation of form, repetition, and the singularity of copies, resulting in more than 500 prints produced between the 1970s and 1990s. These span silkscreens, lithography, etching, and linocut, and were created at a moment in cultural history in which the medium was at the forefront of art production and thought. [excerpted from Gypsum Gallery] <img width="1920" height="1111" width_o="1920" height_o="1111" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a68f96fdbf41389e96c9b4b0af56c291333efd8d4de2352aa6f5131a111cde73/2023-09-19-MK-001-Morsi-Animation.gif" data-mid="199553528" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a68f96fdbf41389e96c9b4b0af56c291333efd8d4de2352aa6f5131a111cde73/2023-09-19-MK-001-Morsi-Animation.gif" /> The publication features a substantial selection of these prints along with texts from Duro Olowu, Sarah Rifky and Amina Diab and is edited by Aleya Hamza and Sara El Adl. Within it we wanted to create a sequence that tells a story and that highlights the themes in Morsi’s work. In his prints we often see fish, horses, human figures, eyes and birds. We wanted to cluster these themes in a compelling way, while creating a narrative that is also somewhat true to the chronology of the creation of these works. Finally, we wanted to play on the idea of repetition, of variations and of singularity and thus create a layout that feels coherent overall, but is rather fluid and varied to keep the reader engaged. <img width="4001" height="1843" width_o="4001" height_o="1843" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8c7aa20b65b09e5ff57e8278272d7417287068f7f530a6043837e7c570abc24f/3.jpg" data-mid="199553531" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8c7aa20b65b09e5ff57e8278272d7417287068f7f530a6043837e7c570abc24f/3.jpg" /> The publication is bilingual, with all texts translated from English into Arabic, and to keep both languages equally prominent we thought of a layout that runs in both directions and is interrupted&nbsp;by&nbsp;lapis blue sections highlighting particular series from Morsi’s work: ‘The Cavafy Suite’ and ‘Stones of Bobello’. The cover&nbsp;features&nbsp;fish scales from one of by Morsi’s prints, embossed onto both sides connecting the Arabic&nbsp;and&nbsp;English ends of the publication to create a relationship/ continuity between the two sides. <img width="4001" height="3050" width_o="4001" height_o="3050" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e1f26b40b9f6ffce587c802f863163542189c52e72f7f8c5af64679e3f4e877f/4.jpg" data-mid="199553530" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e1f26b40b9f6ffce587c802f863163542189c52e72f7f8c5af64679e3f4e877f/4.jpg" /><img width="4001" height="2018" width_o="4001" height_o="2018" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a7b0963c1f576bf6b578377c148e2e03ebb2b339447ecb1ad4f5304c622f0c32/5.jpg" data-mid="199553529" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a7b0963c1f576bf6b578377c148e2e03ebb2b339447ecb1ad4f5304c622f0c32/5.jpg" /> PURCHASE︎︎︎ The publication is available for purchase through Gypsum Gallery, and at Diwan stores and at Bibliothek&nbsp;at Arkan PlazaCREDITS︎︎︎ Website and portfolio designed with Mariam Khattab ︎︎︎ Project photography by Kafrawy︎︎︎ Big thank you to Rana El Nemr and Samir El Kordy&nbsp;for the beautiful shooting location ︎︎︎ Publication printed at Concorde Press&nbsp;in Cairo <img width="151" height="150" width_o="151" height_o="150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e5e84b6e44d6c049f3858f998b55c11a70c2b61cff1bf0913ded7c114df8d5f2/Artboard-87.svg" data-mid="199553526" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/151/i/e5e84b6e44d6c049f3858f998b55c11a70c2b61cff1bf0913ded7c114df8d5f2/Artboard-87.svg" /> <img width="153" height="150" width_o="153" height_o="150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6e79ced257e8ad4ac88e32fbc22e4c8d0254e2e97a4b7ae69ef9b5a4943b4ffb/Artboard-89.svg" data-mid="199553527" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/153/i/6e79ced257e8ad4ac88e32fbc22e4c8d0254e2e97a4b7ae69ef9b5a4943b4ffb/Artboard-89.svg" /> https://valeriearif.com/Townhouse-Gallery-PAIL Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:55:23 +0000 valeriearif.com https://valeriearif.com/Townhouse-Gallery-PAIL 2016 The Past is Always an Invented Land for Townhouse Gallery EVENTS <img width="1920" height="1648" width_o="1920" height_o="1648" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e7e3dfa55e3b557af783fbcb74f2839e3126c862f64d1ca91657ba70387f3a1a/2023-05-03-004-MK-Portfolio-Toww.gif" data-mid="199553671" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e7e3dfa55e3b557af783fbcb74f2839e3126c862f64d1ca91657ba70387f3a1a/2023-05-03-004-MK-Portfolio-Toww.gif" /> In 2016 I had the opportunity to work with Townhouse Gallery, something I was very happy to do. Mariam Al Nozahy was putting on an ‘anti-exhibition’: ‘an un-curated mass of things from the collection of Amgad Naguib, downtown Cairo’s famed collector and dealer of objects, artworks, ephemera, and other relics of Egypt’s modernist past. Naguib’s rich collection was kept intact: its chaotic composition was transferred directly from his anarchic storage spaces downtown into the factory space at Townhouse. It was ruthlessly put on view with no historical narrative or tidy curatorial statements to create an emphatically disorganized anti-exhibition’. [excerpted from the exhibition text by Al Nozahy] <img width="1920" height="1000" width_o="1920" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a9bf5344e44e89ab98c52c689abb6eb53ed9b9fd6d0098aeb31e1c24db9a1562/Artboard-50-copy300x.png" data-mid="199553672" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a9bf5344e44e89ab98c52c689abb6eb53ed9b9fd6d0098aeb31e1c24db9a1562/Artboard-50-copy300x.png" /> To get started on the poster I took my camera and visited one of Naguib’s densely piled up storage spaces - filled with his findings plus some friendly cats who rely on a steady stream of food and affection from him. I had gone with the idea of taking 1 main image for the poster, but I walked away with far too many photos and a sense of chaos . I felt unable to settle on just one image to represent his collection or to stand for what he has created in these storage spaces. And this felt very in-line with the concept behind this anti-exhibition, not to try to summarize or to direct attention to a specific angle or narrative, but to present things as they are, in their abundance, and let the viewer confront them.So I created a busy and fragmented poster with no real focal point, evocative of Naguib’s storage spaces, his collection and the exhibition’s concept. Later on when I animated the poster (originally I had designed several still iterations) my idea was to reference the temporal aspect that lies at the core of what Naguib does and also to nod to the exhibition’s title and allude visually to the passage of time. <img width="5835" height="5473" width_o="5835" height_o="5473" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b390fc974d07b21d5ebd68febc36b21bd263e816aedc8bd87664307cd221cc55/B_02300x-compressed.jpg" data-mid="199553668" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b390fc974d07b21d5ebd68febc36b21bd263e816aedc8bd87664307cd221cc55/B_02300x-compressed.jpg" /> CREDITS ︎︎︎ Website &amp; portfolio designed with Mariam Khattab︎︎︎ Photos from Townhouse Gallery&nbsp;and Karim El Moselhi <img width="151" height="150" width_o="151" height_o="150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e5e84b6e44d6c049f3858f998b55c11a70c2b61cff1bf0913ded7c114df8d5f2/Artboard-87.svg" data-mid="199553669" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/151/i/e5e84b6e44d6c049f3858f998b55c11a70c2b61cff1bf0913ded7c114df8d5f2/Artboard-87.svg" /> <img width="153" height="150" width_o="153" height_o="150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6e79ced257e8ad4ac88e32fbc22e4c8d0254e2e97a4b7ae69ef9b5a4943b4ffb/Artboard-89.svg" data-mid="199553670" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/153/i/6e79ced257e8ad4ac88e32fbc22e4c8d0254e2e97a4b7ae69ef9b5a4943b4ffb/Artboard-89.svg" /> https://valeriearif.com/Zawya-Re-Brand Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:55:09 +0000 valeriearif.com https://valeriearif.com/Zawya-Re-Brand 2013, 2020 Zawya forMisr InternationalFilms BRANDING <img width="1920" height="1080" width_o="1920" height_o="1080" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3fdc456e100e83d00a55b5cc245d21b1bee6aa8099da3ab2d994dc57f898205a/2023-04-03-002-Poster-Screen-Qui.gif" data-mid="199553535" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3fdc456e100e83d00a55b5cc245d21b1bee6aa8099da3ab2d994dc57f898205a/2023-04-03-002-Poster-Screen-Qui.gif" /> In 2013 I was working at Misr International Films, where the idea of creating Zawya - Egypt’s first arthouse cinema - was brewing. I had a little bit of experience with branding work back then and was tasked with developing a logo for this new venture. It took very many iterations and some admittedly tense team meetings, before we finally settled on the rectangular kufi logo that Zawya launched with and used for its first 6 years of life (see animation below for the old logo and transformation). The logo (both versions) plays on the word 'Zawya', meaning angle in Arabic. 7 years later the Zawya team got in touch with me about revamping the logo. While it had become quite recognizable over the years (and even worked its way into a ‘downtown leftist bro starter pack’ meme), it looked a bit dated for 2020. And despite the bright, happy colors, we felt the angular shape communicated a seriousness and dryness that didn’t quite fit the brand personality. In addition we wanted to develop an extended visual identity that would make Zawya look coherent and recognizable across platforms. <img width="1920" height="711" width_o="1920" height_o="711" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9bcd73a851964fd999ae4ca8f7094e52f0c714d70de5313547442aa89f41e8a4/2023-06-11-MK-001--PORTFOLIO-ZAWYA-LOGO-TRANSITION.gif" data-mid="199553541" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9bcd73a851964fd999ae4ca8f7094e52f0c714d70de5313547442aa89f41e8a4/2023-06-11-MK-001--PORTFOLIO-ZAWYA-LOGO-TRANSITION.gif" /><img width="1920" height="867" width_o="1920" height_o="867" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/677fa8cb93b396ac28c2a8f03583db71ebf43fcf253bfa046e5636129abb5825/2023-04-04-001-Corporate_Behance.gif" data-mid="199553543" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/677fa8cb93b396ac28c2a8f03583db71ebf43fcf253bfa046e5636129abb5825/2023-04-04-001-Corporate_Behance.gif" /> The scope of the project was quite large; it covered everything from office signage to invoice templates to merch to schedules, online and offline, and much more. I had the pleasure of putting together a small team, consisting of the brilliant&nbsp;Mina Maurice along with&nbsp;Mariam Ibrahim, but then we had the bad fortune of having to do the entire project remotely via Zoom in peak pandemic times (while staying on top of Tiger King watching commitments and the international banana bread fixation). <img width="5834" height="6825" width_o="5834" height_o="6825" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c1a77aed4b5ff990f04455e86f08d655e702755b6d5375c13ae98da44ffa3ea5/4300x-compressed-compressed.jpg" data-mid="199553545" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c1a77aed4b5ff990f04455e86f08d655e702755b6d5375c13ae98da44ffa3ea5/4300x-compressed-compressed.jpg" /><img width="5834" height="3830" width_o="5834" height_o="3830" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/66ea05ff555e7d2e34222483f36bcece9bfeeeaec0475303aaa471ca6735ae9f/5300x-compressed-2.jpg" data-mid="199553538" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/66ea05ff555e7d2e34222483f36bcece9bfeeeaec0475303aaa471ca6735ae9f/5300x-compressed-2.jpg" /> Our aim was to soften the brand, create a friendlier and more relaxed logo and add a colorful and distinctive brand identity to go with it. Zawya’s teal and red had a lot of brand recognition, so in order to capitalize on that we chose to keep, but slightly tweak the two colors. And we added a diverse set of secondary colors that would help keep social media posts fresh and varied. The new identity references 35mm film, while still playing on the theme of angles &amp; corners for continuity. The shapes with the rounded corners reference the logo’s outline and communicate a younger, more light-hearted Zawya. <img width="5834" height="4642" width_o="5834" height_o="4642" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e4d09e6016c37ef01f44f1d8a40e90a20c72124df6b3c03c70703aa952f8e1f8/6300x-compressed.jpg" data-mid="199553544" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e4d09e6016c37ef01f44f1d8a40e90a20c72124df6b3c03c70703aa952f8e1f8/6300x-compressed.jpg" /> <img width="5834" height="3884" width_o="5834" height_o="3884" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/036984403e08fd4998bbf993e26421091ba9244f16ffcaa090c0feaec6e21cc0/9300x-compressed.jpg" data-mid="199553536" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/036984403e08fd4998bbf993e26421091ba9244f16ffcaa090c0feaec6e21cc0/9300x-compressed.jpg" /><img width="1920" height="841" width_o="1920" height_o="841" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/83cf1d550525acefb71d84022cb64022c913c402d6bae540d9e4f29d2465bc72/2023-04-04-001-Posters-Animation-Behance.gif" data-mid="199553540" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/83cf1d550525acefb71d84022cb64022c913c402d6bae540d9e4f29d2465bc72/2023-04-04-001-Posters-Animation-Behance.gif" /> EXHIBITIONS︎︎︎ The revamp announcement posters were selected as part of Cairopolitan’s&nbsp;Cairo Prints II in 2021 and were showcased in a group exhibition at the Cairopolitan gallery, the Institut Français d’Égypte and the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale in Cairo that year. PURCHASE︎︎︎ Both posters are&nbsp;available for purchase at the Cairopolitan store and through their website. ︎︎︎ Zawya merch is available on location at Zawya cinema downtown and through their website. <img width="1920" height="890" width_o="1920" height_o="890" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9a5e118d4647cfb9126558f230aa054d30224e3e8c7c5b4cb380a143d5a97b36/2023-04-04-001-Social-Media-Anim-min4.gif" data-mid="199553546" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9a5e118d4647cfb9126558f230aa054d30224e3e8c7c5b4cb380a143d5a97b36/2023-04-04-001-Social-Media-Anim-min4.gif" /> <img width="1922" height="876" width_o="1922" height_o="876" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/93abc279018c8fe036fa5de386d7aa9689a6e4bd917dcb21fac3dcc95228305f/2023-04-04-001-Merch-Animation-Behance.gif" data-mid="199553542" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/93abc279018c8fe036fa5de386d7aa9689a6e4bd917dcb21fac3dcc95228305f/2023-04-04-001-Merch-Animation-Behance.gif" /> CREDITS ︎︎︎ Project designed with Mina Maurice and Mariam Ibrahim︎︎︎ Website and portfolio designed with Mariam Khattab ︎︎︎ Project photography and video by Kafrawy︎︎︎ Brochure photos by Fakhr Eldien Abdelfatah https://valeriearif.com/Zawya-5 Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:55:17 +0000 valeriearif.com https://valeriearif.com/Zawya-5 2019 5 Years of Zawya EVENTS <img width="1920" height="1006" width_o="1920" height_o="1006" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9b71f1826694ac495fbbf7b5fb176c220be8638645b51ea1163d50b6d14c2741/2023-07-05-001-MKVA-Portfolio-Za.gif" data-mid="199553616" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9b71f1826694ac495fbbf7b5fb176c220be8638645b51ea1163d50b6d14c2741/2023-07-05-001-MKVA-Portfolio-Za.gif" /> Every year in March Zawya throws itself a big birthday party, headlined by an always-adventurous mix of DJs, to bring together everyone who works at or with or vaguely in connection to Zawya, and to celebrate another year of independent film in Cairo and all the effort that goes into making that possible. In 2019, the cinema was turning 5 and it was especially meaningful for me to work on this birthday design, because I was working at MIF (Zawya’s mother company) between 2012 and 2014 when Zawya was still an ambitious idea brewing in the air. I created Zawya’s first logo back then and had the opportunity to revamp it and create an extended brand identity for it in 2020 (which you can see here). On a related note, I recently worked on Zawya’s 10th birthday design, which I will be adding on here soon. 🤲🏽 Having created the logo I have always felt very entitled to mess with it and curve it and stretch it and melt it and explore the limits of what I can get away with in that regard. I don’t think there was much of a concept here beyond that [passage of time = stretching?]. I kept the recognizable red and teal from the logo, and added a spring-inspired, happy shade of salmon. I had also just completed an animation workshop titled ‘The Moving Poster’organized by Sporadic Schooling and was very keen to test out my new animation skills. <img width="1920" height="800" width_o="1920" height_o="800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cb33d56c555744d8bbb9d2eceebea756b7ecbd6602599bc45e92c09a0cf940da/Zawya-5-Wide.gif" data-mid="199553615" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cb33d56c555744d8bbb9d2eceebea756b7ecbd6602599bc45e92c09a0cf940da/Zawya-5-Wide.gif" /><img width="8001" height="3096" width_o="8001" height_o="3096" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a15df111e32a8089a5fc0cbdde6f2b7f3ef38fe4a65d6f7e65b7998e4c91d2ef/1920300x-compressed.jpg" data-mid="199553614" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a15df111e32a8089a5fc0cbdde6f2b7f3ef38fe4a65d6f7e65b7998e4c91d2ef/1920300x-compressed.jpg" /> EXHIBITIONS︎︎︎ The poster was selected for the 3rd edition of 100 Best Arabic Posters in 2020 and exhibited along with the work of other artists and designers from the region at the AUC’s Tahrir Cultural Center in Cairo, Cultuurcentrum Ter Dilft in Bornem - Belgium, Warehouse421 in Abu Dhabi, the Saudi Design Festival in Diriyah, Birzeit University in Palestine, The Design Show in Cairo and at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.︎︎︎ It was also selected to be part of Cairopolitan’s&nbsp;Cairo Prints II in 2021 and showcased in a group exhibition&nbsp;at the Cairopolitan gallery, the Institut Français d’Égypte and the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale in Cairo that year. PURCHASE︎︎︎ It is available for purchase at the Cairopolitan store and through their&nbsp;website.CREDITS ︎︎︎ Website &amp; portfolio designed with Mariam Khattab ︎︎︎ Logo stretching animation by Osman Setto https://valeriearif.com/PEF10 Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:55:13 +0000 valeriearif.com https://valeriearif.com/PEF10 2017 10th Panorama ofthe European Filmfor Zawya EVENTS <img width="1920" height="1234" width_o="1920" height_o="1234" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/71a9f828fd587708700c09e69857f39503f09d35f00ec6cab9b3a8423d4b3f4f/2023-06-07-001-MK-Portfolio-Panorama-10-Identity-Behance.gif" data-mid="199553571" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/71a9f828fd587708700c09e69857f39503f09d35f00ec6cab9b3a8423d4b3f4f/2023-06-07-001-MK-Portfolio-Panorama-10-Identity-Behance.gif" /> In 2017, Zawya approached me about creating the visual identity for the 10th edition of the Panorama of the European Film, a (mostly) annual festival bringing critically acclaimed European films to the Egyptian screen. I was very happy to work on it, because many years earlier I had created a godawful design for a previous edition of the PEF which I do not care to discuss, but what’s done is done and we must learn from the past (and ideally not dig it up). And learn I did: the 10th PEF was an opportunity to right my wrongs and to design from a more seasoned and mature place and create an identity I can still get behind many years later. <img width="1920" height="1177" width_o="1920" height_o="1177" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0ae5a45fa339d7b79373e2ea1bba5f458655ad40505fb0d991d72643cbcb355b/Artboard-1-copy-8300x.png" data-mid="199553574" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0ae5a45fa339d7b79373e2ea1bba5f458655ad40505fb0d991d72643cbcb355b/Artboard-1-copy-8300x.png" /><img width="1920" height="988" width_o="1920" height_o="988" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6e126cc3484110c3cc05aaa0dc04de83b9b2fa3641815f5199b04e7aec305f0a/Artboard-1-copy-9300x.png" data-mid="199553573" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6e126cc3484110c3cc05aaa0dc04de83b9b2fa3641815f5199b04e7aec305f0a/Artboard-1-copy-9300x.png" /> For this edition I wanted to talk about how film has the&nbsp;power to move you and to transport you; a simple message - and to communicate it I created images where cinema seats are transplanted into&nbsp;the middle of nowhere in a variety of landscapes. In terms of color, I chose two very loud and energetic colors, and switched between them in terms of foreground vs. background, while the images were set in black and white. I used the shape of the Arabic zero in the typeface selected (Molsaq designed by Abjad - big thanks to Ali Almasri) as a recurring element in the identity - partly in reference to the 10th edition and also because it looks like the outline of an eye, which felt serendipitous. <img width="1920" height="987" width_o="1920" height_o="987" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/febda926c33757fefdc8cdfe7c05d4649a766e4738f5af0ac4c84dfb8b6802f2/2023-06-05-001-MK-Portfolio-Panorama-10-Poster-Animation-Behance.gif" data-mid="199553569" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/febda926c33757fefdc8cdfe7c05d4649a766e4738f5af0ac4c84dfb8b6802f2/2023-06-05-001-MK-Portfolio-Panorama-10-Poster-Animation-Behance.gif" /><img width="1920" height="822" width_o="1920" height_o="822" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/16a11805ff55b20cbd8914a206ae33c94b428630820a6a03599fca916f135488/2023-06-05-001-MK-Portfolio-Pano-3.gif" data-mid="199553575" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/16a11805ff55b20cbd8914a206ae33c94b428630820a6a03599fca916f135488/2023-06-05-001-MK-Portfolio-Pano-3.gif" /> For the text, I was trying out playful ways to lay out English and Arabic together&nbsp;while still keeping a sharp sense of geometry in the identity and so I landed on this idea of dots/ the Arabic zeross connecting the Arabic and English sides, so that the overall text creates a rectangluar shape - making it flow more with the shape of the images. The identity has a fairly&nbsp;loose grid, which allowed it to be easily translatable into all the different applications and formats needed for the festival.The following year, I worked on the 11th edition, which you can see here. <img width="1920" height="988" width_o="1920" height_o="988" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/58ad143d171b3044f97cfe63563765e7153120ca1f389b6f19d8dcc342c62f2f/Artboard-1-copy-10300x.png" data-mid="199553572" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/58ad143d171b3044f97cfe63563765e7153120ca1f389b6f19d8dcc342c62f2f/Artboard-1-copy-10300x.png" /> <img width="1920" height="1023" width_o="1920" height_o="1023" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bc2d198ed0544dad87e4ee770322e813e6f6a6fffa3a51e02f733e54e20ec0d4/2023-06-07-001-MK-Portfolio-Panorama-10-Colored-Animation-Behance.gif" data-mid="199553570" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bc2d198ed0544dad87e4ee770322e813e6f6a6fffa3a51e02f733e54e20ec0d4/2023-06-07-001-MK-Portfolio-Panorama-10-Colored-Animation-Behance.gif" /> EXHIBITIONS ︎︎︎ The poster series was selected for the 2nd edition of 100 Best Arabic Posters in 2018 and exhibited along with the work of other artists and designers from the region at RiseUp Summit in Cairo,&nbsp;Warehouse421 in Abu Dhabi, the&nbsp;American University in Sharjah and the&nbsp;German University in Cairo. ︎︎︎ The posters were also selected to be part of Cairopolitan’s&nbsp;Cairo Prints II in 2021 and were showcased in a group exhibition at the Cairopolitan gallery, the Institut Français d’Égypte and the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale in Cairo that year. PURCHASE ︎︎︎ The poster series is&nbsp;available for purchase at the Cairopolitan store and through their website. CREDITS ︎︎︎ Website &amp; portfolio designed with Mariam Khattab︎︎︎ Trailer: Yasser Azmy︎︎︎ Photo Editing: Chantal Ramzy︎︎︎ Event Identity Photos: Aleksander Suszynski, Martino Pietropoli, Victoria Palacios︎︎︎ Panorama Photos: Ibrahim Ezzat ︎︎︎ Thank you to the Panorama team, especially Rama Mahanna, Youssef Shazli, Malak Makar, Yasmeen Mokhtar, Ahmed Sobky, Nawara Shoukry <img width="151" height="150" width_o="151" height_o="150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e5e84b6e44d6c049f3858f998b55c11a70c2b61cff1bf0913ded7c114df8d5f2/Artboard-87.svg" data-mid="199553567" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/151/i/e5e84b6e44d6c049f3858f998b55c11a70c2b61cff1bf0913ded7c114df8d5f2/Artboard-87.svg" /> <img width="153" height="150" width_o="153" height_o="150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6e79ced257e8ad4ac88e32fbc22e4c8d0254e2e97a4b7ae69ef9b5a4943b4ffb/Artboard-89.svg" data-mid="199553568" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/153/i/6e79ced257e8ad4ac88e32fbc22e4c8d0254e2e97a4b7ae69ef9b5a4943b4ffb/Artboard-89.svg" /> https://valeriearif.com/PEF11 Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:55:18 +0000 valeriearif.com https://valeriearif.com/PEF11 2018 11th Panorama ofthe European Filmfor Zawya EVENTS <img width="1920" height="1005" width_o="1920" height_o="1005" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/29cabc247c4799632403cccd4fed92eb5325ad5eb49d0f99060d6b0b64a1dd37/2023-06-14-MK-001-Behance-Poster-Animation.gif" data-mid="199553624" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/29cabc247c4799632403cccd4fed92eb5325ad5eb49d0f99060d6b0b64a1dd37/2023-06-14-MK-001-Behance-Poster-Animation.gif" /> In 2018, I was invited to design the identity for the 11th Panorama of the European Film (you can check out the 10th edition here). The PEF is a (mostly) annual film festival - organized by Zawya - bringing critically acclaimed European films to an Egyptian audience. Aside from having previously worked at Zawya/ at Misr International Films (Zawya’s mother company), I also hold the PEF dear, because I watched Lars von Trier’s ‘Dancer in the Dark’&nbsp;in 2000 as part of the 1st ever PEF with my aunt when I was a kid. It was so different from anything I had ever seen on a&nbsp;big screen and it stayed with me and so to be working on the Panorama felt very full-circle for me. <img width="1920" height="1005" width_o="1920" height_o="1005" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0462542d8149d0c553028529d8a735bdf9db0cba2fbd26a68734eee5f343026a/2300x.png" data-mid="199553627" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0462542d8149d0c553028529d8a735bdf9db0cba2fbd26a68734eee5f343026a/2300x.png" /> This time around the idea that I wanted to express in the event’s identity was that cinema allows us&nbsp;to see the world through the filmmaker’s eyes or that it gives us a glimpse into who they are and how they think &amp;/ how they see the world. I used old, black and white photographs, cutting out the director’s or camera-person’s face and revealing colorful patterns behind them. I added fine red lines to connect the 2 languages, and I paired a very wide font with a narrow one (shoutout to Bukra and 29LT). I also used these red strips of lines and text to frame certain applications of the identity.&nbsp; <img width="1920" height="1034" width_o="1920" height_o="1034" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4b3315f4940aaf948c49b33d47e4447cd723d016276af33e4e957197bc4018ec/2023-06-14-MK-002-Alternating-Poster-Animation.gif" data-mid="199553625" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4b3315f4940aaf948c49b33d47e4447cd723d016276af33e4e957197bc4018ec/2023-06-14-MK-002-Alternating-Poster-Animation.gif" /> <img width="1920" height="804" width_o="1920" height_o="804" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4f3c864151e3bcb4df802d25d012d7b20120d06a1784fd35e527af9a8e810c0e/4300x.png" data-mid="199553626" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4f3c864151e3bcb4df802d25d012d7b20120d06a1784fd35e527af9a8e810c0e/4300x.png" /> Initially I was proposing a very different color scheme: a pastel direction, paired with strong black and white patterns and the red highlights. Unfortunately the Zawya team was not ready for pastels and sadly I am petty enough to bring it up here and now, several years later. While this great loss still eats away at me, I continue to have a very good relationship with Zawya that allows me to be this shady right now for no reason. One thing that made this edition really fun for me was deciding not to define a particular shade of blue for the base of the designs. The previous year I had fought hard to have a consistency in how the colors looked on every application (from different suppliers, to different materials, to different printing techniques) and it had proved impossible. To free myself from the shackles of perfectionism I decided to define the background color as ‘any shade of relatively dark blue’ for the 11th edition. And so this time around everything was a different shade, but it was by design and I felt it was a fun and adaptable way to make&nbsp;production&nbsp;limitations work to our advantage. <img width="1920" height="600" width_o="1920" height_o="600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4a34b30adda70b64dedb541fcf4a17f9171b8212c368f263084825c6206a3720/2023-06-14-MK-002-Behance-Social-Media-Animation-Recovered-min.gif" data-mid="199553628" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4a34b30adda70b64dedb541fcf4a17f9171b8212c368f263084825c6206a3720/2023-06-14-MK-002-Behance-Social-Media-Animation-Recovered-min.gif" /> EXHIBITIONS︎︎︎ The poster series was selected for the 3rd edition of 100 Best Arabic Posters in 2020 and exhibited along with the work of other artists and designers from the region at the AUC’s Tahrir Cultural Center in Cairo, Cultuurcentrum Ter Dilft in Bornem - Belgium, Warehouse421 in Abu Dhabi, the Saudi Design Festival in Diriyah, Birzeit University in Palestine, The Design Show in Cairo and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. ︎︎︎ The posters were also selected to be part of Cairopolitan’s&nbsp;Cairo Prints II in 2021 and were showcased in a group exhibition at the Cairopolitan gallery, the Institut Français d’Égypte and the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale in Cairo that year. PURCHASE︎︎︎ The poster series is available for purchase at the Cairopolitan store and through their website. <img width="1920" height="1070" width_o="1920" height_o="1070" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bd81031c67f9e7cc67655dc96f2396d21f7c3c269728a0ecda793d125f524aec/2023-07-26-MK-001-Portfolio-Panorama-11-Web-IMGS.gif" data-mid="199553630" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bd81031c67f9e7cc67655dc96f2396d21f7c3c269728a0ecda793d125f524aec/2023-07-26-MK-001-Portfolio-Panorama-11-Web-IMGS.gif" /> CREDITS ︎︎︎ Website &amp; portfolio designed with Mariam Khattab ︎︎︎ Trailer:&nbsp;Yasser Azmy︎︎︎ Panorama Photography: Lamis Magdy︎︎︎ Thank you to the Panorama team, especially Rama Mahanna, Youssef Shazli, Malak Makar, Yasmeen Mokhtar, Ahmed Sobky, Nawara Shoukry <img width="151" height="150" width_o="151" height_o="150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e5e84b6e44d6c049f3858f998b55c11a70c2b61cff1bf0913ded7c114df8d5f2/Artboard-87.svg" data-mid="199553622" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/151/i/e5e84b6e44d6c049f3858f998b55c11a70c2b61cff1bf0913ded7c114df8d5f2/Artboard-87.svg" /> <img width="153" height="150" width_o="153" height_o="150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6e79ced257e8ad4ac88e32fbc22e4c8d0254e2e97a4b7ae69ef9b5a4943b4ffb/Artboard-89.svg" data-mid="199553623" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/153/i/6e79ced257e8ad4ac88e32fbc22e4c8d0254e2e97a4b7ae69ef9b5a4943b4ffb/Artboard-89.svg" /> https://valeriearif.com/IFE-Mediatheque Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:55:22 +0000 valeriearif.com https://valeriearif.com/IFE-Mediatheque 2020 Médiathèque for l’Institut Français d’Égypte BRANDING &amp; SIGNAGE <img width="1920" height="1096" width_o="1920" height_o="1096" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/85edc34d4b2836611daa6e0f54a245b3cc92ab54fcf6168b87db4d0d3900199c/2023-03-22-MK-002-Portfolio-Medi-2.gif" data-mid="199553662" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/85edc34d4b2836611daa6e0f54a245b3cc92ab54fcf6168b87db4d0d3900199c/2023-03-22-MK-002-Portfolio-Medi-2.gif" /> <img width="1920" height="1291" width_o="1920" height_o="1291" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cca4af7832ccac67dd3496cef08cf8211a15b348214233a85ec11c7f3e6a96d1/2023-03-22-MK-001-Portfolio-Mediatheque--Collaterals-Animation.gif" data-mid="199553660" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cca4af7832ccac67dd3496cef08cf8211a15b348214233a85ec11c7f3e6a96d1/2023-03-22-MK-001-Portfolio-Mediatheque--Collaterals-Animation.gif" /> The Institut Français d’Égypte houses 3 Médiathèques across Egypt. They are 3 beautiful spaces (in Mounira, Heliopolis and in Alexandria) where you can loan out books, magazines and other types of media. They are also spaces where you are welcome to spend the day researching, studying, working , listening to music, watching films etc. In 2019, the IFE was renovating the Mounira branch of the Médiathèques, with the help of Cluster, and approached me about simultaneously&nbsp;working on a rebrand so that the reopening would coincide with a more contemporary&nbsp;and&nbsp;coherent visual identity, tying all 3 locations together. Previously there was a logo, but not much else in terms of a visual identity, and so the Médiathèques did not communicate any particular brand personality, which meant that most of their marketing efforts were lost in the clutter. <img width="5839" height="2920" width_o="5839" height_o="2920" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c2ec0265ddbe67eba0ae6710f8d05acd30fca6b92536397fe2fdc76ee21da836/Artboard-139300x.png" data-mid="199553656" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c2ec0265ddbe67eba0ae6710f8d05acd30fca6b92536397fe2fdc76ee21da836/Artboard-139300x.png" /> The main idea that the IFE wanted to put forth was of the Médiathèque as a ‘tiers-lieu’ - a ‘third place’ - other than the home and the workplace, where people can commune and exchange ideas. We wanted to show the Médiathèque as a place that is on the one hand&nbsp;modern, technologically advanced and serious, while at the same time showing that it can be an inviting, warm place where people can feel at home and at ease. The logo and extended brand identity have the very simple idea of referencing a Venn diagram, showing that the Médiathèque lives at the&nbsp;intersection&nbsp;of&nbsp;different types of worlds - the home and the office, the domestic and the professional/ educational etc. And what we wanted to do with the extended identity was to create room for various tones in communication: the Médiathèque holds very different types of events, from school trips to concerts to publication launches to exhibitions, and so it was important to create an identity&nbsp;that can be translated into different tones whether light-hearted, childish, serious and sober, fun and loud etc. <img width="5839" height="3451" width_o="5839" height_o="3451" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d8f045481e4183a4ca1fb416be20032c750158eb9a515ebfbec696db760375c6/Artboard-140300x.png" data-mid="199553657" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d8f045481e4183a4ca1fb416be20032c750158eb9a515ebfbec696db760375c6/Artboard-140300x.png" /> <img width="1920" height="1426" width_o="1920" height_o="1426" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ff71bf72728fd0adf9c02536c6a948bc7c56295bfec8586dee18f0940b1daa41/2023-03-22-MK-001-Portfolio-Mediatheque-Behance---Colors-in-Use-Animation.gif" data-mid="199553661" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ff71bf72728fd0adf9c02536c6a948bc7c56295bfec8586dee18f0940b1daa41/2023-03-22-MK-001-Portfolio-Mediatheque-Behance---Colors-in-Use-Animation.gif" /> As an extension of the brand identity I worked with architect Alya El Chiati to consult on the&nbsp;interiors&nbsp;and&nbsp;furniture purchases. Together we chose a different combination&nbsp;of the new identity’s brand colors for each room/ area of the Médiathèque in Mounira so that the brand identity would come through in the choice of furniture thus providing a more complete experience for visitors. As part of the project, I also worked on the signage, alongside Cluster, from wayfinding signage and room/ area identification signage all the way down to bookshelf and section labeling for each category and sub-category of media. This also served to create consistency in the brand and experience and communicate the same cues from the membership card, to social media posts down to the actual navigation within the space. <img width="5834" height="3247" width_o="5834" height_o="3247" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4297904c7dd9536e4d15a0abc59a5199c76d889851586a4cdaac6f781db1b637/Artboard-144300x-compressed.jpg" data-mid="199553659" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4297904c7dd9536e4d15a0abc59a5199c76d889851586a4cdaac6f781db1b637/Artboard-144300x-compressed.jpg" /> <img width="5839" height="3105" width_o="5839" height_o="3105" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/27848221ccec1808b703d2e7ae334398abd027db21698e0be27279ed88e0e705/Artboard-141300x-compressed.jpg" data-mid="199553658" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/27848221ccec1808b703d2e7ae334398abd027db21698e0be27279ed88e0e705/Artboard-141300x-compressed.jpg" /> CREDITS︎︎︎ Website and portfolio designed with Mariam Khattab ︎︎︎ Interior design by Cluster