Graphic Design Students Display Their Art at The Open House

By: Farah Rafik

@frhrfk

The Graphic Design Open House, an annual exhibition that showcases a selection of works by graphic design students, ended its one-week run at the Sharjah Art Gallery on March 25.

The Open House was a culmination of pieces developed throughout the year in the design program studio courses, including Analogue and Digital Practices (ADP), Logo design, Typography I, II, and III, Publication, and Packaging.

Students spent much of their time in printing stations, all-nighters pulled on a daily basis, and hours spent alternating between programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Indesign.

The artwork was then hand picked by the event director, Ghalia Srakbi.

Some of the pieces on the walls included colorful, as well as black-and white banners, while 3D typography pieces were featured on glass tables.

Graphic Design Junior Habiba Hany said she was pleasantly surprised at the attention her work – which included 3D designs, posters, and magazine covers – received during the Open House.

“[While] working on these projects during the courses, you do not really think about them being hung or showcased,” she said.

In one magazine cover of a project titled The Wanderer, Hany used empty white space to attenuate simple colored natural motifs.

“You focus on getting them perfectly done with passion and dedication, so seeing them admired by people later on is an indescribable feeling,” Hany added.

The exhibition was not only a show of student artistic endeavor but also a safe space open to various interpretations of their work.

The exhibition had a big wall that featured colorful 2D and 3D posters, meant to tease the brain with the perception of depth. The pieces were all of the same size; however, they differed in various aspects.

Some of the pieces had writings, some had only abstract features, and some included both.

One of the posters read, “you see with your eyes, not your brain.”

This piece, although simple and minimalistic, explained what this whole exhibition was about.

Srakbi expressed how proud she was of both the exhibition and the students. The items that were on display showed the true essence of the Graphic Design programme, which is focused on letting your creative self inspire your work, she explained.

“This is the fourth time we open the studio. Each passing year creates more room for student development in this creative space. This year, we focused on [a lot of] criteria before showcasing the pieces, such as originality, the quality of production, as well as choosing the best medium for each idea,” Srakbi said.

Political Science Junior Farah Amr was particularly moved by the calendar-themed designs meant to capture the passage of time.

A shampoo bottle, for example, became a de facto calendar as it marked how much was dispensed over the course of 12 months.

“It was very impressive. I loved the idea of the calendars and alphabets because these are things we have seen before but not in similar settings. For them to be done and executed in a visually pleasing way was definitely captivating to the eye,” said Amr.

Yasmine Yehia, a graphic design junior whose work was also showcased, said the Open House is a very competitive event because, unlike exams that are individually and privately taken, an exhibition requires you to publicly showcase your own work.

“Seeing my work hung alongside other people’s work provides an enormous amount of room for continuous self-motivation and encouragement,” Yehia said.