Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Golnaz Fathi

Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Golnaz Fathi

Author: afikra January 23, 2026 Duration: 33:05

Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès interviews Iranian visual artist Golnaz Fathi, who starts by sharing her educational journey from her initial training as graphic designer and classical calligrapher, to reaching her her final goal of becoming a painter and visual artist. Golnaz explains her love for all kinds of written scripts; her fascination with their shapes, their ways of carrying meaning and emotions. She describes how she managed to merge all her learned creative skills and passions (scripts and painting) into the type of written art she has been creating for decades. She challenged herself to break the rules of calligraphy and write along musical rhythms, like a performer, capturing the essence of writing — writing the "unwritten" that expressed pure emotion. She talks about pushing boundaries, creating cultural bridges and inviting viewers to respond in individual and imaginative ways to her work. She describes her inspirations acquired through art books, and how certain abstract expressionist artists that have had an impact on her way of creating art. She candidly relays the challenges she faced in Iran in having access to modern and international art, and her joy the first time she encountered those artworks physically in a museum. She discusses how music, poetry, and dance are core elements in her work citing as example an exhibition centered around the poetry of the renown Syrian poet Nizar Kabbani. The conversation concludes with talking about her other passions for cooking, enjoying food, hosting friends, and much more. Golnaz Fathi is one the visual artists and graphic women featured in the book "Revealing Recording Reflecting: Graphic Women from Southwest Asia and North Africa" (Amsterdam: Khatt Books, 2024).

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THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK 
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ABOUT AFIKRA
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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: 49

Khatt Chronicles: Stories on Design from the Arab World
Podcast Episodes
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Sarah Saroufim [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:43
Yasmine Nachabe Taan interviews American-Lebanese illustrator and designer Sarah Saroufim. They start the conversation by taking us through her educational journey first in graphic design at the American University of Be…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Hanane Kai [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:24
Yasmine Nachabe Taan interviews Lebanese illustrator Hanane Kai who shares her journey from studying and working as a graphic designer to the moment she decided to concentrate on illustration work. They discuss her illus…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Golnar Adili [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:23
Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès interviews Iranian-American visual artist Golnar Adili on her journey from architecture to teaching and practicing visual arts. They discuss her work that transgresses borders and definition an…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Aude Abou Nasr [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:37
Yasmine Nachabe Taan interviews Beirut-based, French-Lebanese illustrator Aude Abou Nasr. They discuss Aude's educational and professional journey from starting in architecture into illustration and activism. Aude discus…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Ghazal Foroutan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:10
Roshanak Keyghobadi interviews Iranian California-based graphic designer and illustrator Ghazal Foroutan. They discuss Ghazal's journey as a designer, her educational stages, and her impactful first professional experien…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Bahia Shehab [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:06
Yara Khoury Nammour interviews Cairo-based Lebanese designer and visual artist Bahia Shehab. They discuss Shehab's motivation and journey as a designer and educator. Shehab delves into political engagement, the importanc…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Dima Nachawi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:20
Yasmine Nachabe Taan interviews Beirut-based Syrian visual storyteller and illustrator Dima Nachawi. They discuss her professional journey, education, and projects. Dima shares her passion for making people laugh, clowni…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Kinda Ghannoum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:43
Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès interviews Brussels-based, Syrian-Polish designer Kinda Ghannoum. They discuss her journey into the field of design, through practical work following her graduation with a degree in architectur…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Zeynab Izadyar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:11
Roshanak Keyghobadi interviews New York-based Iranian designer Zeynab Izadyar. They discuss her journey into the field of design and textile design; beginning with her education as graphic designer in Tehran, followed by…
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Samar Maakaroun [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:19
Yara Khoury Nammour interviews London-based Lebanese designer Samar Maakaroun. They discuss at length her journey into the field of branding and lettering, her work at Pentagram studio in London and what it means to be t…