A look into a few projects that occupy my mind’s eye
It’s a universal experience to see an enmeshment of environments, both familiar and unknown to us, in our dreams. We often come out of these nocturnal mind journeys with emotions lingering from the striking imagery we witness in them. Yet, there is no way to revisit these "venues" except as a fading memory occupied in a part of our brain that will only hold onto them temporarily.
This ongoing series is a glimpse into those dreamed surroundings, but recreated into visualizations. Each illustration is a one-shot look into the atmosphere of a key moment that was experienced.
The pieces are a mix of 3D modeling done in Sketchup and embellished photoshop. More to come.
This series is comprised of quick explorations into the design possibilities of existing environments.
The project shown reimagines a neighbor’s family room and kitchen, respectively. The family room was reconceptualized into a prayer space on one half and retains a formal sitting area in the remaining half. The kitchen was updated from its existing 60’s look to one with a more contemporary layout and modern materiality, while retaining the green accents which gives the space its unique identity. This particular study involved sketching over the photographed spaces in iWork (Keynote).
More studies to come.
This was a handwritten piece I digitally enhanced. The two styles of Arabic calligraphy are used here: Naskh, in the horizontal direction, and Riq'a, running vertically. The main point was using the wal repeated in each line as a rotational centerpoint.
These verses are an excerpt called They say to me: "Do describe it" from poet Umar Ibn al-Farid's The Wine Ode, which translates to:
1. Purity, but not water.
2. Subtlety, but not air.
3. Light, but not fire.
4. Spirit, but not body.
ṣafāʾuⁿ walā māʾuⁿ
waluṭ̊fuⁿ walā hawạaⁿ
wanūruⁿ walā nāruⁿ
waraẘḥuⁿ walā jis̊muⁿ
صفاءٌ ولا ماءٌ
ولُطْفٌ ولا هَواً
ونورٌ ولا نارٌ
وروحٌ ولا جِسْمٌ
◂ diagram of sequence for reading the lines
A gallery of assorted renderings and artwork from various projects throughout the years.
The projects explores themes of interest, whether it be user-based modern house design, Islamic architecture / design, spaces that struck fascination, or ponderings about how we as individuals are shaped by our surroundings and how we deal with our circumstances.