Ink on Paper + Adobe Photoshop + ChatGPT

This collection of skiwear designs draws inspiration from multiple strands of Egyptian visual culture; from Ancient Egyptian ornamentation and symbolism, to vernacular folk aesthetics, to the dense visual noise and improvisational energy of contemporary urban Egypt. Conceived as a deliberate departure from the restrained minimalism that dominates much of modern skiwear, the collection embraces excess: saturated color palettes, bold graphic contrasts, ornamental layering, and silhouettes that refuse invisibility. The intention was not simply to “decorate” existing sportswear templates with Egyptian motifs, but to simultaneously rethink the visual language and functionality of skiwear altogether.

While visually flamboyant, the collection is equally rooted in practical concerns surrounding movement, visibility, and adaptability in extreme-weather clothing. Each garment incorporates tailoring decisions intended to address specific usability issues commonly encountered in skiwear. One jacket, for example, combines structural elements from the classic American bomber jacket with features derived from the traditional English hunting jacket, resulting in a cut that increases mobility across the shoulders, arms, and waist without sacrificing insulation. Other designs experiment with elongated compression cuffs that extend beneath gloves, reducing snow exposure while creating a more integrated relationship between outerwear and winter accessories.

The collection also incorporates principles borrowed from emergency and industrial safety wear. High-visibility color blocking (inspired in part by reflective vests and roadside work uniforms) is embedded throughout the garments, ensuring that wearers remain visually legible against snowy landscapes and low-contrast weather conditions. In this sense, the designs address both spectacle and survival: garments intended to be expressive and theatrical, while remaining attentive to the practical realities of outdoor performance wear.

Starting first with hand-drawn ink illustrations on paper, the sketches were later translated into three-dimensional digital approximations using AI-assisted image-generation tools.

2019.02.05       
Amsterdam, NL

It was a couple of years ago when I was asked in an email by Dr. Ornat Lever whether or not I felt art could aid in resolving conflicts. I suspected my response would end up as a small overlooked quote hidden deep within an essay of some text-heavy academic book. Much to my surprise, I received this magnificent tome in the mail, where I am featured alongside some very admirable giants in the arts such as Cui Xiuwen, Frank Gehry, Ron English, and many many others.

Can Art Aid in Resolving Conflicts? is a beautifully-made hardback coffeetable book published by Frame out of the Netherlands. Filled not just with pretty pictures, but also with the opinions of 100 living artists on the relationship of what they do with conflicts and their possible resolutions.

Hardcover, 272 pages
10 x 1 x 11.8 in, 4 pounds  
Published by Frame Publishers
Language in English
ISBN 978-9492311320

Available from Amazon

2013.12       
Cairo, EG

Metal, Glass + Light Bulbs + Speakers + Acrylic Paint on Wood

Standard video game “arcade”, but instead of controls and buttons, there is a sort of crank. And where the television screen is supposed to go, sits a large cylinder covered in pictographs. Upon turning the crank, the cylinder also turns, revealing a never-ending pictorial story: a cyclical clash between authority, faith, art, and feminism; The Clash of Forever.

First exhibited at a collaborated artist-curated exhibition with Ahmed Hefnawy, Ammar Abo Bakr, and Hany Rashed titled “Freedom/Shit”.

Video from Medrar.TV

Exhibitions:
Horreya/Kharya (“Freedom or Shit”)— Cairo, 2013

2008.04       
Berlin, DE

Arabesque is a book about contemporary graphic design from the Arab world and Persia. The book features examples of recent innovative and groundbreaking design work that is inspired by the richness of the Middle East’s visual culture, including a number of posters and graphic identities by Ganzeer. The main topic–Arabic typography–leads through six chapters.

Eps51 edited and designed the complete book in cooperation with Nicolas Bourquin. Published by the Berlin-based Die Gestalten Verlag in April 2008.

2011.09.19       
Berlin, DE

Hardcover, 208   pages
9.8” x 11.5” x 1”, 3.2 pounds  

Cutting-edge graphic work from the Arab world and Iran that is emblematic of the cultural emancipation of this entire area. Young designers in the region are playing a part in this movement by increasingly emancipating themselves creatively. In their work, they are charting their own compelling course between local visual convention and a modern international style. This work is particularly relevant to those creating street art and poster design. Arabesque 2 also features graphic design, logos, editorial design, and illustration by young designers and activists from Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates. Regardless of the location and nationality of their creators, all of the examples included in the book combine modern design with the traditional, letter-based canon of Arab forms in striking ways. The book’s preface is written by John Martin, co-founder of Art Dubai. Additional texts and interviews describe the environments in which the featured designers and artists work. Editors Ben Wittner and Sascha Thoma round out Arabesque 2 with a CD-ROM that features four typefaces related to its themes.

Hardcover, 208   pages
9.8x 1 x 11.5  in, 3.2 pounds  
Published by Gestalten
Language in English
ISBN 978-3899553307

Available from Amazon