Visual Dhikr™
returning to remembrance

Ok, we're doing up our new workspace over at Make Believe very soon, but here is some inspiration to do something different.

Sliding into work at Google HQ
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7292600.stm

Peace by piece is the finale in our 'Think You Know Islam?' series of events aimed to help understanding against non Muslims of Islam, the religion, people and culture.

Hosted by Southwark Council in partnership with Southwark Muslim Forum and the Metropolitan Police, Peace by Piece at the Menier Chocolate Factory captures and celebrates the contribution of Muslims to Southwark's rich cultural diversity.

From April 22 to May 3 the exhibition consists of photographic and audiowork that confronts stereotypes and the misconceptions of Muslim communities.

The exhibition features photography by Rehan Jamil and interviews with 20 Southwark Muslims as they go about their lives in london.

Saima Mahmood, a final year medical student from Peckham, declares, "As a young Muslim woman I'm not prepared to be a doormat for the media or other Muslims".

Other storytellers include

• 10 year old Rumana Chaudhury, chairperson of John Donne Primary School Council,
• Professor Dawud Noibi, Chair Southwark Muslim Forum, who thinks Islam is "a lot like a sat nav system, except this one doesn't lead you down any dead ends"
• Erbil Celebi, a London black taxi driver worshipping at Southwark's Turkish Mosque on Cobourg Road, who believes that Muslim extremists and people obsessed with wealth "have lost the plot in equal measure"

When and where?

From 10am to 6pm daily
The Menier Gallery
51 Southwark Street
London
SE1 1RU
http://www.menierchocolatefactory.com/

Stephen Fry examines the story behind the first media entrepreneur, printing press inventor Johann Gutenberg, to find out why he did it and how.

iPlayer (UK only)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/page/item/b009wynj.shtml

(Available for 5 more days)

Things have developed quite a bit since the Gutenberg press, but the beauty of the printing press and book making industry can only be appreciated when one has a thorough look at the process involved. Enjoy.

Visual Dhikr has been featured in a new graphic design book out now, alongside some excellent designers!

http://www.arabesque-graphics.com

Watch video of the two authors Sascha and Ben (both I met in Cairo).

review:

Arabesque: Graphic Design from the Arab World and Persia

Despite their rich tradition of calligraphy, the Arab World and Persia are not known for their contemporary graphic design, illustration and typography.

Especially now, it's worth taking a look at the region's creativity.

Young designers are just beginning to chart their own compelling course between local visual convention and a modern, international style.

Arabesque investigates the creative potential of the Arab World and Iran.

This book features examples of recent innovative and groundbreaking design work that is inspired by the richness of the region's visual culture.

Given the important role of calligraphy in the Middle East, Arabesque focuses on typography.

The book presents a wide range of modern Arabic fonts and typefaces; these are accompanied by a rich selection of applications.

Further examples of design and graffiti serve as powerful demonstrations of how text can be used illustratively.

This work is particularly relevant to those now creating street art and poster design.

Arabesque also features graphic design, logos and illustration by young designers and activists from Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon, which is complemented by selected projects by Western designers, who are strongly influenced by Arab culture.

Regardless of the location and ancestry of their creators, all of the examples included in Arabesque combine modern design with the traditional, letter-based canon of Arab forms in striking ways.

Buy from Amazon