Huroof | Graphic Design From The Middle East

As a central part of the Misk Art Institute program at Alserkal Avenue in 2018, Fully Booked presented this exhibition of typography in graphic design from across the MENA region as part of Dubai Art Week. The exhibition was curated by Yusef Alahmad, a Saudi graphic designer and artist.

The exhibition presented a groundbreaking and rigorous exploration of the contemporary traces of calligraphy and the Arabic language in typography from current graphic designers and engaged Dubai communities in the presentation of creative content from Arab and international cultural producers.

Typography is one of the main and most important elements of graphic design. In the Middle East, typography has evolved over time from its roots as a calligraphic medium. Increased access to tools, technology, and points of inspiration has continually influenced designers and artists. 

“Huroof” was curated to cultivate an appreciation for design and typography in and from the Middle East by showcasing contemporary work that celebrates the expressiveness and fluidity of the region’s languages. For “Huroof,” Yusef Alahmad curated typographic posters by 40 designers in a wall-length display in Alserkal Avenue, setting the stage for Fully Booked, the Dubai art book fair.

Yusef Alahmad is a Saudi graphic designer‭ ‬and‭ ‬artist based between New York‭, ‬NY, and Washington, D.C‭.  ‬He completed‭ ‬his Masters in Fine Arts degree in graphic design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in December‭ ‬2016‭. His thesis explored‭ ‬‘Graphic Design Standards and intellectual property rights in Saudi Arabia'. He ‬alternates between graphic design projects‭, ‬editorial illustrations‭, and art commissions‭. His work has been exhibited in numerous‭ ‬shows around the world‭.