InDesigner: Arabic Typography Design Contest Winners

Fifth Place
“Origins : Ossouls” by Tahour Med Amine
One hundred words—including “care, love, faith, cooperation, tolerance, courage, and reflection—around the tree trunk made of the word “Origin.”

First Place
“World Cultures Interaction” by Dareen and Habib Khoury
“The word Rapprochement in 27 different languages… symbolizes the interaction between world cultures and nations, which also depicts the desire to live peaceful coexistence. The texts over elaborate the truth behind a mutual respect for human dignity and the protection of morals, as an entrance to the dialogue and interaction between civilizations.”

Second Place
“Love for All, Hatred for None” by Farhan Naseer
“I have used a Sakun/Jazm as a symbol to represent coming together, as this is what this symbol does in writing, it joins letters.”

Third and Sixth Place
“Corniche series 01” and “The corniche series 02” by Samar Maakaron
“Arabic expressions used in everyday life are numerous and entertaining. Unlike proverbs, these expressions tell us a lot about the culture but do not have obvious accurate translations and are often very difficult to explain. They are organic flotations, sweet words, pleasant, and unbinding… They form the essence of the language, and the basis of the values that define us, values that we constantly negotiate and exchange.
“In this poster, I attempt a form of translation, in the hope of starting a conversation about these sayings, about the contexts in which they reside, and how they nuance the basic differences between East and West.”

Fourth Place
“Letters Embracing,” by Soraya Syed
When we came together
to bid each other adieu
You would have thought that we were
Like a double letter
At the moment of union and embrace.
— Muhyiddin Ibn ’Arabi, 12th century Sufi philosopher, also known as Sheikh-i-Akbar (the Great Sheikh)
“The letter ’waws’ in their reflective form have been used in the past by the Ottoman-Turks, often symbolic of the Divine Name. Visually, their curvaceous forms lend themselves to be personified as two individuals in a loving embrace, at that point the two letters become one.”

Seventh Place
“Union,” by Soraya Syed
Even if we are made up
Of a double nature,
Our glances see only
One unified being.
—Muhyiddin Ibn ’Arabi (1165 – 1240)
“Here the letter ’jeem’ is repeated four times around a shared dot creating a geometric pattern. Persian nastaliq, Arabic poetry, Turkish illumination and English-inspired ideas come together to bring this piece into fruition.”

Eighth Place
“The Fabric of Peace,” by Zahra Ezzeddine

Ninth Place
“Human Unity” by Thamara Tarek
“This work is a typographic design of three key aspects of human unity. Love, Brotherhood, Mercy bind humanity together and bring us closer to one another. The artwork was designed in InDesign CS4 with Tasmeem and later with Photoshop in order to add texture and background to the design.”

Tenth Place
“Kufic Labyrinth” by Soraya Syed
I believe in the religion
Of Love
Whatever direction its caravans may take,
For love is my religion and my faith.
—Muhyiddin Ibn ’Arabi
“This piece is inspired by a trip to Iran where Kufic inscriptions adorn the walls of stunning architectural masterpieces. From a distance, the walls of calligraphic brickwork resemble computer chipboards and pixels. On closer scrutiny, the encoded messages hidden in geometric blocks become readable and meaningful. The Kufic Labyrinth is entered through the word raghba, meaning ’desire’ in Arabic. The shortest pathway through the maze, shown in a dotted line, makes up the Arabic word jamal meaning ’beauty.’ The exit is made through the word hurriya meaning ’freedom.’
“Kufic script is one of the oldest forms of Arabic writing but its timeless simplicity can look contemporary. Just as the past informs the present, art evolves from the continuous relationship and interaction between people, cultures and civilisations.”