***** About Khatt Chronicles ***** Khatt Chronicles podcast features remarkable designers, illustrators, and researchers from the Arab World. We host engaging conversations about their practice, vision, and aspirations. In line with the rest of the Khatt foundation projects, focuses on new developments with Arab typography and design. By Arab, we mean people working with the Arabic language, script, and audience, who are not necessarily Arabs. These initiatives are dedicated to the younger generation as an alternative medium. It also focuses on the younger generations of designers to fulfill t ..read more

The four enter into a conversation that goes beyond describing the content of their books, addressing the challenges of undertaking design in a geographical context where material and archives are hard to find, where relying on oral history and primary accounts is key, and where distribution of printed matter is complicated. They each elaborate on the particularities of translation, of conveying the spirit of the content, and the importance of highlighting both the voice of the subject-designer as well as the author's voice. They discuss the materiality of the books and their design and the re ..read more

They zoomed in on some of Wissam's unique projects, from his calligraphic script Al-Wissam to his Calligraforms artworks and logotype designs. They explore Wissam's process of developing a new calligraphic script and the difference between that and his process of type design. They discuss the overlaps between calligraphy, type design and graphic design work, as well as how these fields intersect and influence each other. They conclude the conversation with a chat about Wissam's favorite projects for monumental public space, such as for Doha Airport and Dubai Expo, and also discuss his favorite ..read more

They zoomed in on some of Wissam's unique projects, from his calligraphic script Al-Wissam to his Calligraforms artworks and logotype designs. They explore Wissam's process of developing a new calligraphic script and the difference between that and his process of type design. They discuss the overlaps between calligraphy, type design and graphic design work, as well as how these fields intersect and influence each other. They conclude the conversation with a chat about Wissam's favorite projects for monumental public space, such as for Doha Airport and Dubai Expo, and also discuss his favorite ..read more

The Khatt Chronicles podcast is back in a third season! Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès moderates a conversation between the hosts of Season 3. The discussion addressed the several topics and themes that are planned for this season. Huda begins by briefly introducing the hosts – Roshanak Keyghobadi, Yasmine Nachabe Taan, Yara Khoury Nammour, and Fawzi Rahal. The season will expand to include Iranian designers and will focus on women from the Southwest Asia and North Africa region in general. It will also expand the conversation to other fields of specialization related to graphic des ..read more

Yara Khoury Nammour interviews Lara Balaa, Lebanese editorial designer and PhD Candidate at Rutgers School of Communication and Information. They discuss Balaa's journey into becoming a graphic designer, and her fascination with connecting graphic design to storytelling, strategy and communication. Balaa shares her experience of teaching design history, questioning how knowledge is consumed and produced, and how this has led to her interest in research and writing on design from the region. They unpack Lara's approach to editorial design and her emphasis on creating an easy and enjoyable readi ..read more

Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès interviews Dubai-based Lebanese graphic and type designer @laraassouad. Together they discuss her journey into type design and her other passions and side practices such as book-binding, leather accessories, and pottery. The conversation focuses on Lara's trendsetting work in developing modular Arabic scripts that go beyond type design and practical graphic design application, claiming a place in the contemporary art world. She revisits the ubiquitous applications of the Arabic script to various media – a common practice in the traditional Islamic arts – and brings t ..read more

Yasmine Nachabe Taan interviews Beirut-born Lebanese graphic designer @RanaSalam, "Queen of Arab Pop", founder of Rana Salam Studio in Beirut, Lebanon. Together they unpack her journey as a designer, what inspires her, what she is passionate about, and how she translates that into a unique visual language. They also discuss her Arab Pop (Shaabi) style – defining its characteristics and aesthetics – and the importance of using graphic design as a means for presenting Arab popular culture to a diverse international audience. They talk about her book "Syrian Lingerie" and discuss sexuality i ..read more

Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès interviews UAE-based design studio MOBIUS and its founders, graphic designers Hala Al-Ani, Hadeyeh Badri and Riem Hassan. They candidly share their backgrounds and path: a friendship that brought them together and that evolved into a solid professional relationship and design studio. The conversation unpacks the fine points on designing for the cultural sector in the UAE, the travails of teaching and working as designers, and the engagement with self-initiated projects that challenge the way graphic design is practiced and understood in the region. The conversation r ..read more

Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès interviews Lebanese type designer Kristyan Sarkis and founder of TPTQ Arabic font foundry in Amsterdam. Kristyan shares his education and journey into becoming a type designer. He states: "I learned how to connect with my own cultural design heritage at the Type and Media masters program, at the Royal Academy of art in The Hague." Kristyan discusses at length his typeface design approach and his research-based and culturally-immersive pedagogical practice. The talk also delves into his personal contemporary lettering work which affords him a break from the systematic ..read more