Course

Design Histories in Southwest Asia & North Africa: Voices from the SWANA Diaspora Education License

$2,000.00 - $2,500.00

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Design Histories in Southwest Asia & North Africa: Voices from the SWANA Diaspora Education License

Each class below is an available to purchase individually, or at a discounted rate when the course pass is purchased.
Disorientating SWANA: A Journey Through Maps – course promotional image
Map of Iraq, Kitāb al-Masālik wa-al-Mamālik by Al-Iṣṭaḵrī, 589 AH/1193 CE, Or. 3101, Leiden University.

Disorientating SWANA: A Journey Through Maps

with Sherine Salla

South to North, East to West, where does SWANA begin, where does it manifest? Maps are more than a neutral representation of Earth; they are flattened, edited, labelled, distributed, and along the way, they are imbued with layers of subjectivities....

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A History of Arab Graphic Design – course promotional image
The Palestinian Revolution Lives by Burhan Karkoutly, Circa 1978.

A History of Arab Graphic Design

with Bahia Shehab

Arab graphic design emerged in the early 20th century out of a need to influence, and give expression to, the far-reaching economic, social, and political changes that were taking place in the Arab world at the time. But graphic design...

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Typographic Expression Across Time: From Archives to Contemporary Practices – course promotional image
A collection of archival typographic expressions ranging from the works of Helmi Eltouni and Maḥmūd al-Hindī from various archives like Arab Design Archive, Palestine Archive, and Walkers Art Museum.

Typographic Expression Across Time: From Archives to Contemporary Practices

with Omaima Dajani Naïma Ben Ayed

The course focuses on the significance of incorporating Arab cultural and historical elements into design work, particularly in the field of type design and typography, utilizing the diverse visual archives available. This approach enables designers to produce exceptional works that...

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Patterns to Freedom – course promotional image

Patterns to Freedom

with Sadeem Yacoub

Through the vast landscapes and diverse cultures, Sudan’s rich history is steeped in tradition and tainted with political unrest. Patterns to Freedom covers the historical and cultural significance of design and the influence it had in the context of the...

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The ‘Myth’ of Global Design History – course promotional image
Dymaxion Map by Buckminster Fuller (via the Buckminster Fuller Institute)

The ‘Myth’ of Global Design History

with Danah Abdulla

Criticised for its lack of diversity, the design history canon has sought to redeem itself by integrating a ‘global’ notion to make up for excluding the histories of nations in the Global South. But what constitutes a global design history...

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Woven in Feminism: Amazigh & Al Sadu Symbols – course promotional image
Left: Photograph by the Anou showing weavers, with their children, from the Cooperative Ibilou holding an Azilal rug they designed and crafted. Right: a detail image of traditional Al Sadu weaving from Kuwait.

Woven in Feminism: Amazigh & Al Sadu Symbols

with Dina Benbrahim Munirah Al Shami

This lecture discusses feminist craft practices across Morocco and Kuwait—from aesthetic and functional value to political value. The visual language of Amazigh design in rugs is used as a feminist tool of collective memory, resistance, and innovation within an oppressive,...

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The (Arab) Queering of Design Practice – course promotional image
A collection of contemporary work that uplift Arab queerness from Marwan Kaabour and Wael Morcos.

The (Arab) Queering of Design Practice

with Wael Morcos Marwan Kaabour

It has taken many years for queer subjects from the SWANA region to be represented in design practice. It has taken even longer for queer voices from the design community to emerge. Marwan Kaabour and Wael Morcos both operate within...

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Art is Revolting: Visualizations of Protest in Iran – course promotional image

Art is Revolting: Visualizations of Protest in Iran

with Sheharazad Fleming

In their quest for basic human rights, modern-day Iranians are combatting the extreme treatment of a brutal and oppressive regime in a way which mirrors that of their ancestors — through revolt. This lecture highlights the struggle for freedom, women's...

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Knowledge Making Against Digital Colonialism – course promotional image
A 3D model of queer figures from She Who Sees the Unknown.

Knowledge Making Against Digital Colonialism

with Morehshin Allahyari

Free

This class will focus on questions of access, knowledge production, and knowledge protection using Digital Colonialism as its methodology. What are the ways we can protect cultural and ancestral knowledge while giving access? How can we turn around power structures...

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Licenses for institutional use are available and customizable to fit your needs. Contact us at [email protected] to provide your students, employees, and designers with access to our BIPOC Design History Course.

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