Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Aria Kasaei

Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Aria Kasaei

Author: afikra November 8, 2024 Duration: 45:32
In this episode of Khatt Chronicles, Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès interviews Iranian designer Aria Kasaei, who co-founded Studio Kargah with his classmate and friend Peyman Pourhossein. They discuss his journey into the field of graphic design and the cultural engagement from Studio Kargah's humble beginnings in a basement in Tehran to its present day status, and the recent setting up of a satellite studio in Paris. Together, they discuss the archiving, exhibiting and publishing on design history in Iran and the region, and reiterate the importance of collaboration on such projects between designers and institutions in the region. They address the important role that women designers and younger generations are playing in Studio Kargah as well the design scene in the region, and finally highlight some of Studio Kargah's projects and collaborations with various type designers and cultural activists in Iran and the diaspora.

Khatt Chronicles: Stories on Design from the Arab World is a series of dialogues that pull back the curtain on creative processes often overlooked in global design narratives. Produced in collaboration with afikra, each episode sits down with a different practitioner-be it a typeface designer reimagining Arabic letterforms, an illustrator weaving social commentary into their work, or a researcher digging into historical patterns and contemporary craft. These aren't formal interviews, but more like candid conversations that delve into the guest's personal journey, the challenges and inspirations specific to their context, and their hopes for the future of visual culture in the region. When you listen to this podcast, you're hearing firsthand accounts of how ideas move from sketchbook to reality, how tradition converses with modern technology, and what it means to build a creative practice rooted in the Arab World. The discussions naturally cover everything from the intricacies of book design and street art to the philosophy behind material choices and color palettes. Khatt Chronicles serves as an oral archive, chronicling the vibrant and evolving scene of Arab visual communication, one story at a time. It’s for anyone curious about the stories behind the objects, images, and letters that shape our visual environment, offering a nuanced perspective directly from the minds that are shaping it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 51

Khatt Chronicles: Stories on Design from the Arab World
Podcast Episodes
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Nisrine Sarkis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:42
Yara Khoury Nammour interviews Beirut-based Lebanese designer Nisrine Sarkis. They discuss her journey into the world of branding and lettering. Focusing initially on illustration and graphic design, Nisrine gradually re…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Nora Zeid [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:15
In this episode of the Khatt Chronicles podcast, Yasmine Nachabe Taan interviews Dubai-based Egyptian illustrator and comics artist Nora Zeid. They discuss her journey into the field of graphic novels and comics through…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Wissam Shawkat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:27
Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès interviews Dubai-based Iraqi calligrapher and designer Wissam Shawkat. They discuss his journey into calligraphy and graphic design starting from his teenage years as a student in Iraq to his m…
Khatt Chronicles Hosts Introducing Season 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:11
The Khatt Chronicles podcast is back in a third season! Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès moderates a conversation between the hosts of Season 3. The discussion addressed the several topics and themes that are planned for this…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Lara Balaa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:38
Yara Khoury Nammour interviews Lara Balaa, Lebanese editorial designer and PhD Candidate at Rutgers School of Communication and Information. They discuss Balaa's journey into becoming a graphic designer, and her fascinat…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Lara Assouad [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:19
Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès interviews Dubai-based Lebanese graphic and type designer @laraassouad. Together they discuss her journey into type design and her other passions and side practices such as book-binding, leathe…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Rana Salam [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:17
Yasmine Nachabe Taan interviews Beirut-born Lebanese graphic designer @RanaSalam, "Queen of Arab Pop", founder of Rana Salam Studio in Beirut, Lebanon. Together they unpack her journey as a designer, what inspires her, w…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Mobius Studio [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:13
Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès interviews UAE-based design studio MOBIUS and its founders, graphic designers Hala Al-Ani, Hadeyeh Badri and Riem Hassan. They candidly share their backgrounds and path: a friendship that broug…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Mohammed Shennawy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:18
Yasmine Nachabe Taan interviews Egyptian comics artist and designer Mohamed Shennawy – co-founder of TokTok comics magazine and founder of Al-Fann Al-Sabi’ (the 9th Art), a comics publishing and events company. They talk…