Bahia Shehab is professor and founder of the graphic design program at the American University in Cairo. An artist, designer, and art historian, her work has received a number of international awards, including a TED Senior Fellowship, a Prince Claus Award, and the UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture. Her publications include A Thousand Times NO: The Visual History of Lam-Alif (2010).Haytham Nawar is associate professor of design and formerly chair of the department of the arts at the American University in Cairo, and the founder and artistic director of Cairotronica, a festival of electronic and new media arts in Cairo. An artist, designer, and Fulbright scholar, his work has been shown at many local and international exhibitions. His research interests include design history and practices with a focus on the Arab world and Africa.

• ContentsChapter 1: Sources of Inspiration for Arab Design, Pre 1900Decoding Islamic Visual LanguageEarly Arabic PrintingChapter 2: Artists and Calligraphers: Early Designers, 1900 – 1919Foundation of Art Education in the Arab WorldArabic Calligraphy DesignersEarly Arab AdvertisingArab PhilatelyChapter 3: Design for the Masses, 1920 – 1939Formation of Arab Magazines and NewspapersArabic TypewriterDesign for CinemaChapter 4: Arab Design and Modernity, 1940 – 1959Independence of Arab StatesDesign for CultureArabic for the PeopleFather of Sudanese Graphic DesignArab Graphic Design PioneersChapter 5: Arab Design and the Palestinian Resistance, 1960 – 1969Reasons for the Emergence of Resistance PosterArab Centers of KnowledgeThe Problem of ArabicSecond-Generation Arab DesignersChapter 6: Arab Designers in Exile, 1970 – 1979Lebanese Civil WarThe Syrian Design SchoolMigrating Designers of IraqDesign and Post-socialism in EgyptArab African DesignThird-Generation Arab DesignersChapter 7: Design and the Search for a New Identity, 1980 – 1989Arabic TypographyLebanese LimboSudanese Designers in the DiasporaEgyptian Design after the Open Door PolicyFourth-Generation Arab DesignersChapter 8: Rebirth of Arab Design, 1990 – 2000Post–Lebanese Civil War Influx of TalentInspiring the Next GenerationThe Artist DesignsConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

“[T]his book is a significant contribution to the global discourse on graphic design history, and essential for all graphic design and visual communication programs (especially in the Arab world). It brings together, under one cover, important yet little-known information. It offers a kaleidoscopic view of graphic design from the Arab world and grounds the field within the broader discussion of graphic design from the peripheries of the established design canon.”—Art Journal“Important and rich. . . an essential textbook for design educators all over the world. It’s the history book I wish I had as a student, and the resource I’ve been missing as a practicing designer. . . .[A] significant and long overdue publication.”—AIGA Eye on Design"[O]ffers one of the clearest timelines through which the contemporary Arab image can be understood."—ICON Magazine“Highlighting the work of key designers and stunningly illustrated with over 600 color images, [the authors] look at how cinema, economic prosperity, and political and cultural events gave birth to and shaped the founders of Arab graphic design.”—New Books Network"A groundbreaking publication. . . A History of Arab Graphic Design is filled with exquisite examples and is worth buying for the images alone, but of course a better appreciation for the work and the contexts in which they were created is gained by reading the rich history that accompanies the images."—Technical Communications"An essential new textbook for students and graphic designers from East and West"—PRINT“Easily the best introduction to the history of modern Arab visual culture on the market today.”—The Brooklyn Rail"A landmark . . . recommended . . . This book gives a much-needed visual overview of several generations of Arab graphic designers working in Arab countries and in different diasporas and exiles. It builds a history of Arab graphic design from the origins of printing through the 21st century, bringing the work of graphic designers across the region into conversation." —M. Lynx Qualey, Al-Fanar Media“Closing the gap on the history of Arab graphic design . . . with over 370 pages and 600 color illustrations, A History of Arab Graphic Design is an invaluable resource.”—Futuress Magazine"[O]ffers a thus far missing genealogy of Arab graphic design . . . a major feat"—The National News"A reference work on many levels . . . [a] rich tour, well documented and supported"—Ahram Hebdo

Bahia Shehab is professor and founder of the graphic design program at the American University in Cairo. An artist, designer, and art historian, her work has received a number of international awards, including a TED Senior Fellowship, a Prince Claus Award, and the UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture. Her publications include A Thousand Times NO: The Visual History of Lam-Alif (2010).Haytham Nawar is associate professor of design and formerly chair of the department of the arts at the American University in Cairo, and the founder and artistic director of Cairotronica, a festival of electronic and new media arts in Cairo. An artist, designer, and Fulbright scholar, his work has been shown at many local and international exhibitions. His research interests include design history and practices with a focus on the Arab world and Africa.

• ContentsChapter 1: Sources of Inspiration for Arab Design, Pre 1900Decoding Islamic Visual LanguageEarly Arabic PrintingChapter 2: Artists and Calligraphers: Early Designers, 1900 – 1919Foundation of Art Education in the Arab WorldArabic Calligraphy DesignersEarly Arab AdvertisingArab PhilatelyChapter 3: Design for the Masses, 1920 – 1939Formation of Arab Magazines and NewspapersArabic TypewriterDesign for CinemaChapter 4: Arab Design and Modernity, 1940 – 1959Independence of Arab StatesDesign for CultureArabic for the PeopleFather of Sudanese Graphic DesignArab Graphic Design PioneersChapter 5: Arab Design and the Palestinian Resistance, 1960 – 1969Reasons for the Emergence of Resistance PosterArab Centers of KnowledgeThe Problem of ArabicSecond-Generation Arab DesignersChapter 6: Arab Designers in Exile, 1970 – 1979Lebanese Civil WarThe Syrian Design SchoolMigrating Designers of IraqDesign and Post-socialism in EgyptArab African DesignThird-Generation Arab DesignersChapter 7: Design and the Search for a New Identity, 1980 – 1989Arabic TypographyLebanese LimboSudanese Designers in the DiasporaEgyptian Design after the Open Door PolicyFourth-Generation Arab DesignersChapter 8: Rebirth of Arab Design, 1990 – 2000Post–Lebanese Civil War Influx of TalentInspiring the Next GenerationThe Artist DesignsConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

“[T]his book is a significant contribution to the global discourse on graphic design history, and essential for all graphic design and visual communication programs (especially in the Arab world). It brings together, under one cover, important yet little-known information. It offers a kaleidoscopic view of graphic design from the Arab world and grounds the field within the broader discussion of graphic design from the peripheries of the established design canon.”—Art Journal“Important and rich. . . an essential textbook for design educators all over the world. It’s the history book I wish I had as a student, and the resource I’ve been missing as a practicing designer. . . .[A] significant and long overdue publication.”—AIGA Eye on Design"[O]ffers one of the clearest timelines through which the contemporary Arab image can be understood."—ICON Magazine“Highlighting the work of key designers and stunningly illustrated with over 600 color images, [the authors] look at how cinema, economic prosperity, and political and cultural events gave birth to and shaped the founders of Arab graphic design.”—New Books Network"A groundbreaking publication. . . A History of Arab Graphic Design is filled with exquisite examples and is worth buying for the images alone, but of course a better appreciation for the work and the contexts in which they were created is gained by reading the rich history that accompanies the images."—Technical Communications"An essential new textbook for students and graphic designers from East and West"—PRINT“Easily the best introduction to the history of modern Arab visual culture on the market today.”—The Brooklyn Rail"A landmark . . . recommended . . . This book gives a much-needed visual overview of several generations of Arab graphic designers working in Arab countries and in different diasporas and exiles. It builds a history of Arab graphic design from the origins of printing through the 21st century, bringing the work of graphic designers across the region into conversation." —M. Lynx Qualey, Al-Fanar Media“Closing the gap on the history of Arab graphic design . . . with over 370 pages and 600 color illustrations, A History of Arab Graphic Design is an invaluable resource.”—Futuress Magazine"[O]ffers a thus far missing genealogy of Arab graphic design . . . a major feat"—The National News"A reference work on many levels . . . [a] rich tour, well documented and supported"—Ahram Hebdo

Bahia Shehab is professor and founder of the graphic design program at the American University in Cairo. An artist, designer, and art historian, her work has received a number of international awards, including a TED Senior Fellowship, a Prince Claus Award, and the UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture. Her publications include A Thousand Times NO: The Visual History of Lam-Alif (2010).Haytham Nawar is associate professor of design and formerly chair of the department of the arts at the American University in Cairo, and the founder and artistic director of Cairotronica, a festival of electronic and new media arts in Cairo. An artist, designer, and Fulbright scholar, his work has been shown at many local and international exhibitions. His research interests include design history and practices with a focus on the Arab world and Africa.

• ContentsChapter 1: Sources of Inspiration for Arab Design, Pre 1900Decoding Islamic Visual LanguageEarly Arabic PrintingChapter 2: Artists and Calligraphers: Early Designers, 1900 – 1919Foundation of Art Education in the Arab WorldArabic Calligraphy DesignersEarly Arab AdvertisingArab PhilatelyChapter 3: Design for the Masses, 1920 – 1939Formation of Arab Magazines and NewspapersArabic TypewriterDesign for CinemaChapter 4: Arab Design and Modernity, 1940 – 1959Independence of Arab StatesDesign for CultureArabic for the PeopleFather of Sudanese Graphic DesignArab Graphic Design PioneersChapter 5: Arab Design and the Palestinian Resistance, 1960 – 1969Reasons for the Emergence of Resistance PosterArab Centers of KnowledgeThe Problem of ArabicSecond-Generation Arab DesignersChapter 6: Arab Designers in Exile, 1970 – 1979Lebanese Civil WarThe Syrian Design SchoolMigrating Designers of IraqDesign and Post-socialism in EgyptArab African DesignThird-Generation Arab DesignersChapter 7: Design and the Search for a New Identity, 1980 – 1989Arabic TypographyLebanese LimboSudanese Designers in the DiasporaEgyptian Design after the Open Door PolicyFourth-Generation Arab DesignersChapter 8: Rebirth of Arab Design, 1990 – 2000Post–Lebanese Civil War Influx of TalentInspiring the Next GenerationThe Artist DesignsConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

“[T]his book is a significant contribution to the global discourse on graphic design history, and essential for all graphic design and visual communication programs (especially in the Arab world). It brings together, under one cover, important yet little-known information. It offers a kaleidoscopic view of graphic design from the Arab world and grounds the field within the broader discussion of graphic design from the peripheries of the established design canon.”—Art Journal“Important and rich. . . an essential textbook for design educators all over the world. It’s the history book I wish I had as a student, and the resource I’ve been missing as a practicing designer. . . .[A] significant and long overdue publication.”—AIGA Eye on Design"[O]ffers one of the clearest timelines through which the contemporary Arab image can be understood."—ICON Magazine“Highlighting the work of key designers and stunningly illustrated with over 600 color images, [the authors] look at how cinema, economic prosperity, and political and cultural events gave birth to and shaped the founders of Arab graphic design.”—New Books Network"A groundbreaking publication. . . A History of Arab Graphic Design is filled with exquisite examples and is worth buying for the images alone, but of course a better appreciation for the work and the contexts in which they were created is gained by reading the rich history that accompanies the images."—Technical Communications"An essential new textbook for students and graphic designers from East and West"—PRINT“Easily the best introduction to the history of modern Arab visual culture on the market today.”—The Brooklyn Rail"A landmark . . . recommended . . . This book gives a much-needed visual overview of several generations of Arab graphic designers working in Arab countries and in different diasporas and exiles. It builds a history of Arab graphic design from the origins of printing through the 21st century, bringing the work of graphic designers across the region into conversation." —M. Lynx Qualey, Al-Fanar Media“Closing the gap on the history of Arab graphic design . . . with over 370 pages and 600 color illustrations, A History of Arab Graphic Design is an invaluable resource.”—Futuress Magazine"[O]ffers a thus far missing genealogy of Arab graphic design . . . a major feat"—The National News"A reference work on many levels . . . [a] rich tour, well documented and supported"—Ahram Hebdo