Arabic Typography & Its Intersection With Other Cultures | Huda AbiFarès

In this episode of the afikra podcast, the founding director of the Khatt Foundation, Dr Huda AbiFares, delves into her expansive work in multilingual typographic research and design. With roles spanning curator, writer, designer, and publisher, AbiFares shares her unique experiences and insights into the world of Arabic typography and its intersection with various cultures. 0:00 Intro 2:05 The Impact of a Nomadic Lifestyle 3:45 Journey from Lebanon to the World 4:30 Returning to Lebanon With a Global Perspective 7:35 Delving Into the Arabic Script 13:01 Reflections on Arabic Typography Research 14:58 Unveiling the Khatt Foundation 20:37 Evolving Design in the 21st Century 24:13 Khatt's Role in Shaping Modern Design 26:01 The Fellowship of Typographers in the Arab World 29:17 Typographic Matchmaking: Bridging Cultures in Urban Spaces 36:15 Assessing Khatt's Impact Over a Decade 38:20 Future Challenges and Areas of Focus 39:30 Rapid Q&A Session 43:16 Clarifying Terminology: Arab World vs Middle East 45:24 Navigating Design Standards and Identities 49:47 Expanding Multi-Script Fonts and Inclusivity Dr Huda AbiFares is the founder and director of the Khatt Foundation, dedicated to advancing Arabic typography and design research across the Middle East, North Africa, and their diasporas. With an educational background that includes a PhD from Leiden University, an MFA from Yale University, and a BFA from RISD, AbiFares has positioned herself as a leading figure in multilingual typographic research. Her work through the Khatt Foundation, has sparked significant discourse on the role of typography in cultural identity and cross-cultural communication, making her a pivotal figure in the contemporary design landscape. Connect with Huda 👉 www.instagram.com/hudasmitshuijzen/ Explore Khatt Foundation 👉 www.khtt.net/ Explore Khatt Books 👉 khattbooks.com/ Listen to the Khatt Chronicles podcast powered by afikra 👉 podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/khatt-chronicles-sto… Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 spoti.fi/47I59ns Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/ FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST: » Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/i… » Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze » Anghami: play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869 THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series:    • 🎙️ The afikra Podcast   ABOUT AFIKRA afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. 📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide afikra.com/chapters 🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly afikra.com/podcasts ⚡ Become a member: www.afikra.com/membership 🔗 Instagram: www.instagram.com/afikra_ 🔗 Facebook: www.facebook.com/afikra.official 🔗 Twitter: twitter.com/afikra #HudaAbiFares #KhattFoundation #ArabicTypography #MultilingualDesign #CulturalIdentity #TypographicResearch #CrossCulturalCommunication