Dia al-Azzawi’s multifarious involvement with graphic design — encompassing a rich output of illustration, publication and print design as well as a variety of promotional, curatorial and critical activities — is unmistakably a form of activism: a fervent expression of al-Azzawi’s social, political and artistic position and an energetic endeavour to bring about change. His interest in literature and poetry manifests throughout his career in projects ranging from publications in collaboration with authors to formal explorations of image and text. Socio-political concerns, historical testimony, and the question of identity are also prominent themes throughout his practice. This book outlines al-Azzawi’s graphic activism, focusing on the period between the mid-1960’s and the mid-1980’s. It charts some key episodes from his journey in graphic design, from his beginnings in his native Baghdad to his later work at the Iraqi Cultural Center in London. It presents his prolific design output and demonstrates the potential of a modern Arab visual language rooted in the ancient cultural legacies of the Middle East.
About the Artist
Dia al-Azzawi is a renown Iraqi contemporary artist whose graphic design work is largely undocumented.
About the Author
Born in Beirut in 1979, Lina Hakim is a London-based researcher, designer and artist. She is currently lecturer in Visual and Material Culture at Kingston University, London and has recently held an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
Lina holds a BA in Graphic Design (American University of Beirut, 2001), an MA in Book Arts (Camberwell College of Arts, 2004) and an MRes and PhD in Humanities and Cultural Studies (London Consortium, Birkbeck, University of London 2009; 2013). Her doctoral thesis was titled ‘Scientific Playthings: Artefacts, Affordance, History’.
About the Publisher
Khatt Books is a specialized publishing house, established in 2010 as a commercial arm of the Khatt Foundation. Khatt Books focuses on topics such as typography, graphic design, architecture, other applied and visual arts from or dealing with the MENA region.
