Slanted in Dubai: Fikra Design Studio

In Spring 2018 the Slanted editors took a close-up look at the contemporary design scene of Dubai. A city—when described by many people—that is all sickening shine and has no soul. But Dubai and the whole region, originally a piece of desert sparsely populated by Bedouins, is now transforming itself rapidly into a center, if not the world’s greatest center, of trade, finance, and tourism—and moreover, something important happened in the last few years: Culture! Today, a new Arab world is being plotted and planned. The entire Gulf is teeming with initiatives—from the most public to the most private—to change and reinvent seemingly immutable rules, regimes, edicts, and assumptions, culminating, perhaps, in the stated intention to work more closely together. The Gulf states have a past, and they will have a future. The contours of that future are legible in this Slanted issue!

Salem Al-Qassimi is a multidisciplinary designer, educator, and entrepreneur. He is the Principal and Founder of Fikra, and Director of the Fikra Graphic Design Biennial. He has published numerous articles, reviews, and essays on Arabic typography, culture, design. Al-Qassimi’s work focuses on elements of culture and identity and has been awarded regionally and internationally.

Take a look at the Slanted #32—Dubai to get an idea of Dubai’s creative environment. Additionally you can find several video interviews on our video platform to get a deeper insight in the designer’s thoughts.