AUK Hosts Graphic Design Exhibition

The American University of Kuwait's Graphic Design Senior Thesis Exhibition held its Opening Reception on Saturday, January 23rd whereby senior graphic design students displayed their work for the public. The goal of the exhibit was to broaden the reach of the effects and beauty of this undervalued art and have students express what they learned from their experiences. Professor Marcella Kulchitsky, Instructor of the senior design portfolio class, said that students were required to create completely new projects for themselves. She said that they had to produce a project about something they are passionate about and research new topics instead of using old subjects. She continued by saying the project had to present a clear meaning to the public as a form of visual communication, not just a type of advertising language. Graphic design is a broad field and can be invested in greatly with great benefit by any company that wants to rebrand or introduce a new product or idea she concluded. The three students whose work was displayed are Rasha Al-Najar, Amina Al-Azabi and Fajer Khaled.

Senior student Rasha Al-Najar said the project's theme was the number seven, but that it was also an independent study. Students had to work on their own project and the instructor was available for supervision and guidance. Al-Najar expressed her thoughts on the number seven by using the seven colors of the rainbow in a walk through display. Her exhibit captures every color and its relationship with each consecutive color. She added that the art of graphic design is getting more acceptance now than ever before and that job openings seem promising.

Amina Al-Azabi said that she is looking forward to graduating from the graphic design program in a couple of days, adding that what she learned in her classes will stay with her for a long time. Her project took three months and features a simple and elegant interactive method of accumulating visual communication. Her project presents a sarcastic, yet effective solutions to the seven most pressing pollution problems facing our world today.

At the end of the exhibition, both the students and their professors agreed that visual communication and graphic design are strong tools of communication that affects us daily. Kuwait has yet to grasp the true abilities of this field but is well on its way.

By: Abdulla Al-Qattan
Article Courtesy of Kuwait Times

Senior student Rasha Al-Najar & her project

Auk hosts graphic design exhibition