Slanted-Magazine-46-Complete-Issuu

visits and authors

Mahmoud Abdelrhany, Maram Al Rafaei, Khodeir Alborsaedy, Manuel Álvarez Diestro, Toka Asal, Mohamed Ashraf, Amr Bakr, Abdelrahman Barakat , Kathryn Best, Jochen Braun, Lena Buhl, Cairo Art Book Fair, Cairopolitan, Divaz of Arabia, Alaa El Hadidy, Shahd El Sabbagh, Nour El Safoury, Hend Elbalouty, Aly S. Elsayed, Nada Ezzeldin, Eman Fikri, Amanda Galal, Ibrahim Hamdi, Mahmoud Hamdy, Ahmad Hammoud, Negmedine Khaled, Markus Lange, Farah lbrahim, Mada Masr, Raghda Moataz, Moshtarak Studios, Haytham Nawar, ntsal, Celine Raffy, Rare Books and Special Collections Library, Rizo Masr, Bahia Shehab, Habiba Sirag, Manuel von Gebhardi, Tobias Wenig, Nora Zeid

And thanks to the more than 500 people who responded to our call for entries, a selection of their work is presented in this issue starting on page 47.

002—Gizapolitan—

the streets of Cairo, drawing inspiration from everyday details. Ideas are developed in their in-house workshop, where a multidisciplinary team experiments like mad scientists. They reimagine iconic elements of the city, creating prototypes and testing materials from the local market. While many products are fully crafted in-house, items involving pottery or metalwork are made in collaboration with specialized Egyptian artisans.

Nardine Shenouda, Ntsal—www.ntsal.com—@ntsalcairo

Ntsal is a design studio led by Nardine Shenouda, delivering the perfect mix of strategy, design, and technology through a research-driven approach. Focused on concepts that work and identities that speak for themselves, the studio creates sustainable, future-proof brands. Founded with the belief that good design is both purposeful and intuitive, Ntsal works across disciplines, collaborating closely with clients to turn complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives.

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008—Ntsal—FILM MY DESIGN 3RD EDITION

Film My Design is a biannual festival in Cairo, Egypt. Its identity for the third edition was based on the theme “Designing Our Lives for a Better Future,” reflecting how shared humanity shapes design. The system combined physical and digital spaces through motion design, rooms, digital landscapes, bilingual type, and color coding. Along with the custom Arabic lettering for the 3rd edition ‘٣ ةخسن’ celebrating this edition, a bold yet contemporary lettering twist around the letters’ connections while still maintaining legibility, boldness and modernity.

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Negmedine Khaled

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027—Negmedine Khaled— AS THE HEART IS, SO THE WORLD APPEARS

The world doesn’t change, but your heart colors how you see it. If your heart is full of peace, even narrow places glow with light. But if it’s heavy with pain, joy may pass you by unnoticed.

028—Negmedine Khaled— AND THE SOUL IS OCCUPIED BY LONGING FOR YOU

The soul longs, but longing alone doesn’t bring the absent back, nor does it fill the void of their absence. Nostalgia is a sweet kind of pain, but it’s not enough to live on.

and Special Collections Library

تلاخادملل selection from over 500

056—Ahmed

This project reimagines Cairo’s iconic landmarks as vintage postal stamps, blending art and history to celebrate the city’s cultural identity. Featuring the Talaat Harb and Ibrahim Pasha statues, the designs use nostalgic textures to turn Cairo’s streetscape into collectible symbols of heritage and pride.

This project aims to create posters and stickers that promote a more supportive environment for

059—Ramez Ragab—OFFICIAL LOGO OF MC DEEB Deeb, a rap pioneer since 2007, inspired a custom bilingual logotype rooted in Egyptian street and poster calligraphy. The emblem blends floral ornaments reflecting Eastern and Islamic Egypt, crowned by a lotus and pyramids to honor its ancient roots.

060—Ramez Ragab—O GOD, O PROTECTOR OF THE PATIENT

The poster was created as a study of classical compositions in Arabic calligraphy artworks, exploring how to use and manipulate its elements to design a poster.

061—Dalia El-Layeh—LEGENDES DU RÄI

This poster celebrate the cultural impact of Algerian Rai music through icons like Cheb Khaled, Faudel, and Rachid Taha, honoring their legacy and the richness of Arabic music.

062—Ramez Ragab—KING

A study in ornamental illustration and bilingual calligraphy, blending Arabic and English in a unified style without matchmaking techniques.

This publication is a heartfelt conversation with Laila Al-Husseini, the author’s late grandmother, who carried her Palestinian identity across Jerusalem, Damascus, Cairo, and Amman. Using ChatGPT, the author reimagines the dialogue they never had, uncovering her emotions, challenges, and deep connection to her roots, while reflecting Palestine’s enduring spirit.

065—Amina Metwaly-Gabr—[ WITH MY LOVE AND MY AFFECTION, GEDDO. ] This poster honors Dr. Hanaa Abdel Fattah’s multifaceted career. The circles represent his roles as actor, translator, writer, academic, and thespian—each distinct yet interconnected, forming a dynamic Venn diagram that reflects the complexity of his work.

084—Soha Attia—PALASTIN POSTCARDS

These lino-printed lettering pieces were created in solidarity with Palestine, using various paper weights and textures to explore their impact. The work blends technique and material as both artistic expression and Wa statement of support.

085—SAREENA—NA’NOU’ TYPEFACE

Na’Nou’ is a typeface that blends the elegance of Naskh with playful, organic details. Its round forms, ink traps, and sharp stroke contrast create a soft yet clear aesthetic. Available in four weights, it offers versatility across compositions.

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086—Waleed Osama—

An experimental, layered design based on the word “Khalawees,” recalling a childhood hide-and-seek game. The intertwined forms reflect motion, connection, and the playful tension of hiding and seeking.

087—Waleed Osam—

The poster highlights how steady, small efforts over time achieve more than occasional big pushes.

088—Zahini Fez—LETTERS FROM A VOID LETTERS TO AVOID

This hand-illustrated coming-of-age project captures his experience of growing up in a society that values uniformity and silence. Told in six chapters, it begins as a dialogue with the world and ends in self-resolution, portraying silence as a complete experience in itself.

095—Amr Alngmah—TOM AND JERRY 2024, FROM VIDEO

These works reflect Al Ngmah’s deep connection to video games as a medium for storytelling and self-reflection, while also drawing from the rich heritage of Islamic miniature art. For the artist, video games represent narratives and ideas that extend beyond the confines of gameplay. Life itself is a stage, with each person as a character navigating various scenes to achieve their goals. Along this journey, individuals encounter moments of reflection, success, ambiguity, joy, and failure.

126—Markus Lange—TAYARA: THE KITE THAT FLEW TOO HIGH In Egyptian Arabic, “Tayara” (ةرايط) is the common dialect word for “kite”—although it literally means “airplane.” Kids and teenagers in Cairo’s crowded neighborhoods built and launched their homemade kites from rooftops. These kites were often made from plastic bags and bamboo sticks, crafted with care and painted with local pride—football club colors, national flags, even LED lights. Soon, the state banned kite-flying, reasserting ownership over space and visibility. The justification of “national security” served, as so often, as a rhetorical shield for deeper political control.

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128—Gozoour—

Founded in 2024 by stylist and creative director Mazen Zaki, Gozoour—Arabic for “roots”—is a high-end ready-to-wear brand dedicated to reclaiming and reimagining Egyptian identity through fashion. Rejecting tired tropes of pharaohs and pyramids, Gozoour instead turns to the vibrant, overlooked heritage of the Nile Delta and Upper Egypt, where Zaki himself was raised. He says, “I don’t want to hide our fabrics or silhouettes. I want to show us who we really are.” Inspired by his mother and family history, his SS25 collection blends traditional craftsmanship with modern aesthetics, creating pieces that reflect both personal memory and collective identity. More than a fashion label, Gozoour is a cultural revival— celebrating the richness, simplicity, and elegance embedded in Egyptian life.

slanted video interviews

240+ figures of the design scene

slanted.de/cairo produced by ntsal

switzerland istanbul paris new york marrakech

portugal warsaw

helsinki athens

tokyo dubai

prague rwanda

los angeles

stockholm

amsterdam cairo

FONT NAMES ILLU S TR ATED

Mohamed Ashraf—Maraya

Toka Asal—Gwahar

Habiba Sirag—Nihaya

Amanda Galal—Gali

Nora Zeid—Siwa

Aly S. Elsayed—Al Donya

Celine Raffy—Ko Banzeen

Maram Al Refaei

Lina Attalah—Mada Masr

Abdelrahman Barakat

Jochen Braun

CairoArtBookFair

Ämr Ezzeldinn—Divaz of Arabia

Ahmad Hammoud

Haytham Nawar—Cairotronica

Bahia Shehab

Nora Zeid

Can you tell us about your background in design? How did you become part of Cairo’s creative scene?

Al Refaei

I was always interested in arts and initially never thought of graphic design. For some background context, I was born and raised in Saudi Arabia, living there for over a decade between Riyadh and Jeddah. Being immersed in the conservative life and cultural pursuits as a child until my mid-adolescent years, I observed the imprints that subconsciously shaped me into the designer I am now, especially as a Muslim, Arab, and immigrant woman, detached from my homeland and ethnic roots. My experience was challenging because I seldom expressed myself due to unspoken, habitual dynamics and other environmental and societal reasons.

I grew up seeing my grandmother, an admirable painter and crafter at heart, and I realized recently that this might have had some subconscious effect on me growing up, watching her draw. This inspired me to draw as well. I was immensely into fashion in my young years and expanded my drawing skills after that. So really, art was an amazing outlet for expression, as it was my only way to have a voice and show what I could do. In spite of that, I didn’t really think of pursuing a pure art major. Once I became aware of what was available in the academic scope, I was intuitively drawn to design. It was extremely interesting for me. It was unusual, as I had never heard of or known about it before.

Six years ago, I graduated from the German University’s Faculty of Applied Arts and Sciences with a major in Graphic Design. I moved to Egypt to begin my university studies after completing my education. My career began as a freelancer in my final year of university, which coincided with Instagram’s bloom in the graphic design scene. Having witnessed my technical and conceptual design development and my progress as a designer, I started to have the confidence to share what I had with others. Not long after, the first freelance opportunity came my way through Instagram, and that was just the beginning. My entire journey as a designer started and is still ongoing, Alhamdulillah, through Instagram. I never imagined that I’d be seen in that way, and that I’d reach a great number of people from all over the world. It was astonishing and quite unexpected, and it is a blessing that I thank Allah for first and foremost. Really, a major truth is that I feel I did nothing to grow the way I am right now. It was some courage and countless blessings

from Allah. Usually, when someone asks me how I reached where I am right now, I sometimes have no answer for that. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is having the encouragement to take the first step and not worry about the rest. I feel I started to show up on Instagram as an experiment, trying things out and ending up where I never expected.

Lina Attalah, Mada Masr

Let’s start by saying we aren’t necessarily part of the creative world—though we desire to be, at least a little—and we do work with a lot of creative people. But we are a newspaper without the paper. In 2013, as we were gearing up to start publishing, we had to find a name for ourselves. We were trying to come up with one collectively— writers, editors, and business developers—and we couldn’t agree. Naming is a kind of beginning: the beginning of language, which is our main mode of mediation. And it’s here to stay. The spectrum of suggestions ranged from predictable names all the way to the quirky. One journalist objected to the more unusual names, saying, “I have to call sources every day. I can’t say my name is X and I work for ‘odd name.’ We’re a news website, not an art space.” A fellow journalist retorted, “Is journalism an art or a science?” Silence followed. The question sparked a lot of thinking—a thinking that continues with us to this day. After failing to agree on a name, we worked with a brand designer for help. He suggested “Mada”—Arabic for range, horizon, and also the place in a ring where a stone is set. In the space of that name, we carried the aspiration to look ahead, the soothing act of contemplating the horizon, while undertaking the difficult task of taking a position within the forest of complexity that is the truth.

Abdelrahman Barakat

My journey into design began with a deep fascination for Arabic calligraphy, which I discovered at a very young age. Over time, this evolved into a broader interest in letterforms, typography, and visual communication. I received my formal education at Khalil Agha School, the oldest school of Arabic calligraphy in the world, which grounded me in traditional arts.

As I developed my practice, I noticed a gap between disciplines like calligraphy, graphic design, and type design. That realization pushed me to explore design in a more connected and inclusive way, which led to the founding of Multaqa Alkhatt (Hadath Alkhatt). The platform communicates, networks, and educates designers, while also opening up space for interdisciplinary collaboration. Alongside that, I launched Werash Alkhatt, a parallel platform focused on

education and enhancement of the type and design scene through structured programs and workshops. That’s how I became part of Cairo’s creative fabric, not just as a designer or calligrapher, but as someone actively working to connect and evolve the scene.

Jochen Braun

I design and consult on digital products, do creative coding, and teach design. I was born, raised, and educated in Germany, but I’ve been living abroad most of my adult life. I have been teaching design in Cairo for over 15 years now—which honestly happened more by accident than by design. I was living in Berlin and came to visit a good friend in Cairo who was running an agency and teaching design part-time. He basically recruited me for both. He eventually left, and I stayed. I’m currently the Director of the Graphic Design Program at the American University in Cairo (AUC).

We (Nour El Safoury and Marwa Benhalim) co-founded the Cairo Art Book Fair in 2022. Nour is the publisher of Esmat Publishing List since 2021; she’s an editor and film critic. Marwa is an artist and curator whose work focuses on food, language, and community spaces. Both of us have been engaged with independent publishing in different capacities before joining forces to create CABF.

The idea for the fair emerged because we wanted to create a space where artists, designers, independent publishers, editors, and whoever is engaged in making artist books, zines, or small press publications could gather, connect with audiences, and support one another. Artist publishing in Cairo and in the majority Arabic-speaking region is not new, of course. With CABF, we wanted to gather this community together for three days. The fair also invites exhibitors from all around the world to Cairo. So it does not only gather a regional community of alternative publishers but an international one. Having such a gathering inevitably contributes to the circulation and distribution of artist books and art publications locally, regionally, and internationally. It also helps foster more knowledge on contemporary art publishing. Since 2022, the fair has become a space for readers, publishers, and distributors to meet, exchange, and support one another. Now in its fourth year, we are happy that the space CABF offers has motivated designers, artists, and small presses to continue to publish, collaborate, and think critically about bookmaking.

Ezzeldinn, Divaz of Arabia

My name is ÄMR EZZELDINN. I’m an Egyptian-born director and photographer and the

founder/editor-in-chief of DIVAZ Magazine. I moved to Italy at an early age to study architecture at Politecnico di Milano, but my passion for visual storytelling led me to pursue a master’s in image and cinema at Brera Academy of Arts in Milan. My graduation project was nominated for Best Young Director at both the Milan and Santiago Fashion Film Festivals—an encouraging start that pushed me further.

Soon enough, my work began gaining international recognition, earning awards and nominations worldwide. I started my career collaborating with emerging publications like i-D and Document Journal in New York, which opened doors to shooting editorial covers for major fashion titles such as Vogue, GQ, and Harper’s Bazaar. Over time, I shifted focus toward directing, creating videos and fashion films for brands like Saint Laurent, Chanel, and Gucci.

Beyond commercial work, I’m passionate about platforming underrepresented voices. In 2020, I launched DIVAZ, a magazine and digital platform amplifying authentic narratives from the MENA region through fashion, art, and culture. A year later, I co-founded Temple Artists, a Dubai-based creative agency and production house. Today, I work globally, splitting my time between Europe and the MENA region.

Ahmad Hammoud

It all started when I studied graphic design at the German University in Cairo, at the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Arts. That’s where I was first introduced to design as a discipline, and where my interest in the arts and culture scene in Egypt really began to grow. It was right after the 2011 revolution—a time when the creative scene was thriving. Music, art and cultural spaces were buzzing with energy, and I naturally found myself drawn into that world, collaborating and connecting with the community. That’s where my journey into Cairo’s creative scene truly began.

Haytham Nawar, Cairotronica

I was a very curious child, a quality that I deem essential in creative people. At school, I was already known among my peers and teachers for my love of drawing. Later, I graduated with a degree in printmaking from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo in 2000 before completing my MFA and PhD. Like many artists, I practiced graphic design, which was for a long time considered the commercial side of fine arts in Egypt. However, I like to see myself now as a scholar and educator at the intersection of many disciplines: art, design, science, and technology with society. My interest in these fields is what leads a lot of my work, such as the creation of Cairotronica, Cairo Electronic and New Media

thinking, and producing that others can pick up, adapt, and carry with them.

Ämr Ezzeldinn, Divaz of Arabia

Ahmad Hammoud  Haha, honestly, I don’t relate a lot to “the Nile” in that sense. Maybe just exactly how I don’t relate to the pyramids, for example. It’s just always been there, maybe I don’t think about it. I though once made a branding project in Paris for a gallery called “Nil Gallery.” :)

Haytham Nawar, Cairotronica

I love water, and I am very fortunate that it flows through Egypt in the form of the River Nile and two seas (the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea). I actually live very close to it in Cairo, but my favorite part is in Nubia, south of Egypt. There, it displays another level of beauty with its vastness and changing colors. It harmonizes beautifully with the textures of its landscapes, the architecture, the people, and the generosity that thrives by its banks.

The Nile has long been central to Egypt’s identity and prosperity, famously described by Herodotus as “the gift of the Nile.” Deeply woven into Egyptian mythology, the river was believed to be governed by deities like Khnum, who created humans from its fertile mud, and Hapi, a gender-fluid god symbolizing abundance and controlling the flood. Myths also link the Nile’s seasonal cycles to the death and resurrection of Osiris, while animals like the crocodile deity Sobek were worshipped as part of this rich cosmology that emphasized the river’s divine and life-giving nature. I feel deeply connected to the Nile in terms of geography and culture. In Arabic, Egyptians often call it “sharyan al-hayah” (the vein of life), and that’s exactly what it is. When you see the Nile coming from Upper Egypt in Nubia or Aswan, from Sudan, and beyond, from Lake Victoria, the primary source of the Nile River's longest branch, the White Nile, like the pulsing heart of Africa, you realize it’s a lifeline. For me, the Nile is more than water, and it’s a symbol of belonging, flow, and continuity. African and Egyptian cultures shape my creative identity. I’ve been wanting to reflect this in a visual or writing project, but this endeavor is still unfinished.

Bahia Shehab

In Egypt, they say: Once you drink from the Nile, you are destined to come back. I’ve been here since then. Our most important legacy is our students. They are the ones who will carry the burden of our questions, and who will keep asking the important questions to light the way for the next generation. We are trying to make them

aware that we have to consciously preserve what we have—as history, as knowledge, as culture, as language—or it will be lost. This is not just about preserving our identity. It’s about survival.

Nora Zeid

Of course. I do feel a connection to the Nile, as I do to the city. Had it not been for the river, people wouldn’t have settled where they did, when they did. If my work were part of the Nile, I’d like to think it would encourage more and more people to join my voyage.

To emphasize an earlier point: the more illustrations, images, films, and novels we create— honestly and authentically reflecting our day-today lives and experiences, as well as those who came before us—the more control we gain over our own narrative and the telling of our histories. I’d like for more people to dive into our histories to find inspiration for their work. That’s what I hope my legacy will be.

ES SAYS

Kathryn Best

Haytham Nawar

Nada Ezzeldin

Nour El Safoury

Farah Ibrahim

Lena Buhl

Hend Elbalouty

Raghda Moataz

Manuel Álvarez Diestro

nome, and the successful management of the institutions therein was key to the stability of the country. Writing enabled the recording of agricultural production and distribution and the documenting and disseminating of both religious beliefs and rules of governance. Administering Egypt required a hierarchy of scribes, civil servants, scholars and managers able to read and write and whose good institutional management was rewarded through promotion, payment and other forms of recognition and inclusion. The support and patronage of the pharaoh inspired country-wide loyalty and gratitude, while simultaneously allowing the local ruling elite to hold some authority within the pharaoh’s overall centralized control. It was these nobles and officials of the day, with their neighborly connections and local decision-making powers, that were “the ones who ran the country and who represented good order which was so fundamental to the overall Egyptian sense of wellbeing.”

Many ancient records still exist in the form of phonetically-written hieroglyphs and scenes of everyday life, carved or scribed on local materials such as stone, pottery and papyrus. But it was centuries on from the time of their original inscription, during Napoleon Bonaparte’s 1798 expedition to Egypt and the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799, that these enigmatic hieroglyphs were finally deciphered by cross-referencing three ancient languages—hieroglyphic, demotic and old Greek scripts. Through this and many other discoveries, we know much more about how the ancient Egyptian system of governance and administration was designed to uphold a state of balance, stability, law and order. Examples of right order included the ways in which local families, mayors and governors ensured peace through family kinship, personal loyalty and local armies, and the use of wise Viziers as advisors to the pharaoh and supervisors of palace security.

3. TEMPLES: REPOSITORIES OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

As an expression of their authority, pharaohs committed to a consistent building program of new architecture, monuments, additions and extensions—an approach that simultaneously triggered great national pride and reinforced a sense of cultural supremacy and creative intelligence. Temples were often located in towns and provinces along the Nile, far away from the capital, which further enhanced stability throughout Egypt. Each temple “fostered local pride and loyalty, often based upon the prestige of a local god or goddess who would be incorporated into the Egyptian pantheon. This created an invisible web of associations and cross-references, binding together gods and their cult places. Support for the temples as “repositories of cultural heritage” spread from town to town and helped to “maintain continuity of cultural norms during times of political uncertainty.”

These religious temples and cult centers also supported the administrative order of the country. Each temple complex stored a portion of the grain produced during harvest as both an insurance against unforeseen problems within the nomes (for example, a poor harvest) and as a reserve for local barter or payment. The priests, administrators and guards working within the temple complexes were paid for their services. Wealthier citizens were encouraged to make donations and set up local endowments for activities such as artistic patronage. The remarkable legacy of the temple complexes are still today cultural heritage magnets for vast numbers of visitors and tourists.

4. THE PHARAOH: LORD OF THE TWO LANDS

For 3,000 years, the role of the pharaoh was to establish and maintain law and order and to protect the nation from its enemies. Archaeologist Brian Fagan believes that to hold the two lands together required “vigorous, decisive leadership, great political sensitivity and outstanding personal charisma. With strong rule and unity came harmony, balance and order … He embodied a unified Upper and Lower Egypt … The

Pharaoh was Egypt.” Considered both mortal and immortal, the pharaoh was key to assuring harmony between the two lands and between the human and the divine, material and immaterial, and life and the afterlife. Ruling by divine right, they were the intermediary between the people and the wider pantheon of Egyptian gods, the defender and organizer of the Two Lands. By the Third Dynasty, the identity of the pharaoh evolved to include that of sun god Ra, creator and ruler of the known universe, and Horus, the falcon-headed god and symbol of kings. Pharaohs engaged in socially and ritually significant public displays that reinforced qualities important to the ancient Egyptian way of life such as wisdom, justice and balance. According to Fagan, “the propaganda of omnipotent kingship rang out in chants and recitations, in elaborate public ceremonies, as hieroglyphic inscriptions on temples and palace walls; in art and architecture … He passed the goodness of humankind to heaven and received the blessing of the creator and the other gods for earth.” Thus, through repetition, spectacles and ceremonies, the message communicated to society was: The pharaoh is divine. The pharaoh is eternity.

5. NATURE: THE CYCLES OF CREATION

The people of ancient Egypt cultivated highly effective livelihoods along the banks of the river Nile. They were keen observers of the natural world with its built-in cycles of movement and creation, including the annual flooding of the river and the larger scale astronomical movements of the stars and planets. Living in tune with the cycles of nature was key to their lives and these cycles were assimilated into their identity, religion, culture and governance structures. Of paramount importance within their belief systems and creation myths were the key elements of nature: water, earth and sun. The daily cycle of the sunrise and sunset, for example, symbolized the process of creation and resurrection, life and death, destruction and rebirth, as well as the journey made by the sun god Ra as he traveled from the world to the underworld and back again. It was their acute observation of numerous regular cosmic rhythms that led to the invention of a new system of time and the 365-day calendar still used today.

TUNIS VILLAGE THE LEGACY OF A WOMAN

by LENA BUHL

Lena Buhl is a writer and fashion designer—in her dreams, but that actually matters. Born in the Black Forest and currently based in Paris, she writes, photographs, and sews at night—because dreaming is serious work. Her projects intertwine identity, emotion, and transformation.

The first thing I noticed when I arrived in Tunis was how everyone seemed to talk about Evelyne. The street that led me into the village, past small corner shops offering not only 20 varieties of chips and packaged sweets but also basic, modest groceries, is named after Evelyne. The land surrounding the Fayoum pottery school, with its guesthouses, farmland, and buffaloes, belongs to Evelyne’s son. Every man, woman, and child, it seems, knows about the remarkable woman whose face adorns some of the shops selling handmade goods like carpets, clothing, pottery, paintings, and jewelry. Her image, painted on canvas, is proudly displayed on their shelves.

Tunis Village, nestled in the El Fayoum region about two hours from Cairo, is one of Egypt’s most celebrated centers for pottery, alongside El Nasla. In the 1980s, Swiss potter Evelyne Porret arrived in this rural village with her husband. She established a pottery studio that later transformed into a school for children, empowering them with a craft that offered financial independence while encouraging them to pursue their education. This marked a turning point for the community, sparking economic growth and fostering a renewed sense of purpose. Evelyne’s vision and dedication profoundly shaped Tunis Village, which is now synonymous with pottery craftsmanship. She spent her entire life in Tunis, passing away in 2021, and remains a legendary figure in the hearts of its residents.

Today, the pottery school is the largest creative institution for children in the village. Its unique style, inspired by natural motifs such as donkeys, camels, palm trees, and birds, defines the artistic identity of Tunis. The palette reflects the earthy tones of white, green, and blue, a tribute to the surrounding environment. Thanks to Evelyne’s influence, Tunis Village hosts an annual international ceramics festival, attracting artists and enthusiasts from around the globe. Its pottery is exported worldwide, zsolidifying its reputation as a center for craftsmanship. This is why my journey to Tunis began in Paris, sparked by my roommate’s beautifully crafted cups and bowls. These pieces ignited my sister’s curiosity as a ceramic artist, prompting her to visit the village for a cultural exploration—and I couldn’t resist tagging along.

Visitors to Tunis are greeted with unparalleled hospitality. Pottery enthusiasts flock to the Fayoum Pottery School, eager to observe young artisans at work, purchase handmade crafts, and immerse themselves in the village’s tranquil charm. While the village’s infrastructure may be challenging for some, the warmth and attentiveness of its people more than make up for it. Wandering through its streets, we often found ourselves pausing to chat with potters, many of whom are graduates of Evelyne’s school. These conversations frequently stretched into long afternoons over chai, punctuated by shared stories and gifted ceramics. No two days in Tunis were alike. From outings to the lake and encounters with both domestic and wild animals to desert excursions and invitations to Sebou—a Muslim equivalent of a baby shower—every moment felt like stepping into a vibrant tapestry of life and tradition. Tunis is a place where history, artistry, and community converge in a way that feels almost magical. Yet, like every story, it has its complexities. The children of Tunis Village display incredible craftsmanship, nurtured from a young age. However, over the years, creativity and freedom of expression have sometimes been overshadowed by a more standardized approach. As certain processes and designs became more predictable, many shops began offering pottery that felt repetitive,

The article was originally published online on urbannext.net on March 21st, 2019

CON TEMP O RARY TYPE FACES

Moreeh by Amr Bakr & Alaa El Hadidy Hassen Khattak, future-fonts.com/hassen_ khattak, 2025

Weights: 5 Styles. Regular, Medium, Bold, Extra bold, Black Language support: Arabic OpenType features available.

Featuring both Arabic and Latin scripts, Moreeh presents a contemporary interpretation of the classic Naskh script, balancing traditional elegance with a modern aesthetic. Its robust character lends itself well to impactful display applications, while its refined form also provides a fresh and readable option for body text. With a versatile range of weights, Moreeh offers flexibility for diverse design needs.

Slanted #46

Eskander by Ibrahim Hamdi

Protype Foundry, protype.studio, 2021

Weights: 7 Weights (Light, Regular, Medium, Semi-Bold, Bold, Extra-Bold, Heavy)

Language support: Arabic / Persian / Urdu

OpenType features available. Optimized for web.

Eskander the first version designed at 2018, and redesigned at 2021. Eskander typeface family comprises 7 weights, ranging from Light to Heavy. Eskander is Arabic typeface with rounded edges and friendly. For web, digital applications and prints, supported languages (Arabic, Persian and Urdu). Eskander is a trademark of Protype Foundry Ltd.

IN DE X APPEN DIX

Mahmoud Abdelghany 213 be.net/abdelghanyart –214 @abdelghanyart

Abdulla 48 behance.net/paplosins @sins__design

Noran Abed 43

Mariem Abutaleb 66–69 mariemabutaleb.com @mariemabutaleb

Bassant Ahmed 86–87 @imjustabeanie

Ziad Ahmed 100–101 @zzooomz

Maram Al Refaei 89 @maramalrefaei 137–158

Rama Al Sabban 56 @rama.alsabban

Ahmad “CUTESEALPUP,” 98 Aladawi ahmadaladawi.com @cutesealpup

Seif Alasmar 95 @seif.jpeg

Khodeir Alborsaedy 36–41 ■

Toka Essam Ali 91 @tokaessama

Amr Alngmah 84 @tolio_

Manuel Álvarez Diestro E 205 manuelalvarezdiestro.es –208 @m.a.diestro

Paula Amin 88 @paulaamin_art

Farah Amir 94 @farahaayad.art

Toka Asal 131 @toka_artworks

Mohamed Ashraf 130 behance.net/ mohamedenaan @mohamed.enaan

Lina Attalah / Mada Masr 137 madamasr.com/en –158 @madamasr @linaattalah

Soha Attia 74 @sohaattiadesigns

Noura Badawy 50 @nourabadawyy

Amr Bakr 71, 78–79 @bakrawiie 210–211

Abdelrahman Barakat 42–46 @barakatofficial_ 137–158 @werash.alkhatt ■

Salma Sarah Benamar 77 @salmasarahbenamar

Aya Bendary 43

Kathryn Best E 160–165 glenholme-luxor.com @glenholme_luxor

Jochen Braun 137–158 jbwritten.com @braunjochen

Lena Buhl E 190–193 @lenyzzle

Cairopolitan 1–5 cairopolitan.com ■ @cairopolitan

Valentina Ciniglio 62 @saqala.studio

Alaa El Hadidy 210–211 @alaaelhadidy98

Selim El Leithy 62 @saqala.studio

Shahd El Sabbagh 216–217

Nour El Safoury / 137–158 CairoArtBookFair E 180–185 @cairoartbookfair @nouursafouury

Mohamed El Seify 62 @saqala.studio

Dalia El-Layeh 55, 71, 82 @daliaellayehh

Amira El-Sheikh 86, 98 @amiraelsheikh_

Hend Elbalouty E 194–198 hendelbalouty.com @balouty

Osama Elnahas 54 @osama.elnahas.50

Rawda Ihab Elsaka 87 @_penoshka_

Sherif Elsayed 91 behance.net/ sherifelsayedd @sherifelsayedd

Aly S. Elsayed 135 @aly.selsayed

Ali Enan 62 @saqala.studio

Malak Ezz El Din 62 @saqala.studio

Nada Ezzeldin E 173 @new.ezz –179

Ämr Ezzeldinn / 137–158 Divaz of Arabia divaz.me @divazofarabia @aezzeldinn

Omar Fathy 63 behance.net/ omaryasserbazan @kareenasareena

Nourhan Fawzy 70, 90 nourhanfawzy.xyz @nourhan_fwzy

Ingy Fawzy 72 behance.net/ Ingyfawzy @noojitos

Zahini Fez 75, 89 @thewonkydaisy

Eman Fikri 215 @emanfikri

Mohamed Gabaway 62 @saqala.studio

Amanda Galal 133 amandagalal.com @amanda_galal Ghonim

@ghonim.st

gozoour.com

@gozoour

Habiba 58 @habibahassan1

Ibrahim Hamdi 51–53 protype.studio 212, 218 @protypetf

Mahmoud Hamdy 24–27 mhamdy.com ■ @mahmouddd4

Ahmad Hammoud 137–158 hammoud3000.com @hammoud_3000

Salma Hesham 70 behance.net/ bysalmahesham @by.salmahesham

Ahmed Hossam 54 ahmedhossam.org @ahmed.hossameldin

Farida Kamel 43

Negmedine Khaled 28–31 @negmedine ■

Kholoud Khaled 48 behance.net/ kholoudkhaled200 @kholoudkhaled200

Heba Khaled 48 behance.net/ HebaKhaled00 @heba.khaled.00

Mariam Kouta 103 behance.net/MKoota @itskootafornow

Markus Lange 108 markuslange.co –110 @markus_lange

Farah lbrahim E 186–189 farahibrahim.com

Muhamed Magdy 78–79

Amina Metwaly-Gabr 57 metwalygabr.com @habashtakanaty

Raghda Moataz E 199–204 mutlaqstudio.com @mutlaqstudio

Moshtarak Studios 20–23 ■ @moshtarakstudios

Mozilla 78–79

Marina Nader 91 behance.net/ marinanader1 @marina.naderasham

Haytham Nawar / 78–79 Cairotronica, 137–158 cairotronica.com E 166–172 @cairotronica @haythamnawar

Ntsal 6–11 ntsal.com ■ @ntsalcairo

Waleed Osama 51, 75 @wledosma

Celine Raffy 54, 136 @cellii.bellii

Ramez Ragab 55, 71 @rmzcalli

Rare Books and Special 32 Collections Library –35 library.aucegypt.edu ■ @auc.rbscl

Jana Rashed 62 @saqala.studio

Riff 98

Rizo Masr 12–15 rizomasr.com ■ @rizomasr

Nabeela Roshdy 96–97 @Nabeelaroshdy

Abo Sahar 111 @abosahardj

Ziad Salah 56 @ziadsalahelwakiel

Samir Abdullah / 49, 99 MOULSQAT behance.net/ Abdullahhsamir @abdullahhsamir

SAREENA 74 behance.net/ omaryasserbazan @kareenasareena

Habiba Sawaf 80–81 @habibahassan1

Mark Schlickmann 76

Bahia Shehab 16–19 bahiashehab.com 137–158 @bahiashehab ■

Mohamed Sherif 106 @mohhamed_sherif –107

Habiba Sirag 64–65 @habibahassan1 86, 132

Thomas Suadicani 59

Sarah Suliman 92 behance.net/ –93 sarasuliman1 @sarakhaledsuliman

Nora Fawzia Taher 83 studiotaher.com @norafawzia

TheBeeProjekt 95, 102 @thebeeprojekt

Veveyzan 60–61 @veveyzan

Manuel von Gebhardi 216 manuel.vongebhardi.com –217 @manuel.vongebhardi

Rana Wassef 59, 63 ranawassef.com 73, 76 @ranawassef

Tobias Wenig ■ @tobiaswenig

Mirette Wessa 86 behance.net/mirettewissa @miretteslife

Wissa Wassef Art Centre 85 @wissa.wassef.artcenter

Nora Zeid 134 norazeid.com 137–158 @itsnorazeid

Abdo Zein El Din 62 @saqala.studio

■ Feature in the video interviews E Essay

SLANTED MAGAZINE

TYPOGRAPHY & DESIGN CULTURE

FALL / WINTER 2025 / 2026

46 CAIRO

PUBLISHER

Slanted Publishers UG (haftungsbeschränkt)

Nördliche Uferstraße 4–6 76189 Karlsruhe

Germany

T +49 (0) 721 85 14 82 68 magazine@slanted.de slanted.de

TEAM

Editor in Chief (V.i.S.d.P.)

Lars Harmsen

Co-Editor

Luna Şenyurt, Markus Lange

Managing Editor

Julia Kahl

Creative Direction

Lars Harmsen

Graphic Design

Juliane Lipp, Luna Şenyurt Design Contemporary Typefaces Mahmoud Hamdy Final Design & Production

Julia Kahl

SLANTED WEBLOG

Editor in Chief (V.i.S.d.P.)

Julia Kahl Editors slanted.de/editors

VIDEO INTERVIEWS CAIRO Produced by ntsal

Video Interviews slanted.de/cairo slanted.de/videos

ISBN: 978-3-948440-91-6 ISSN 1867-6510

Copyright © Slanted Publishers, 2025 Nördliche Uferstraße 4–6 76189 Karlsruhe

Germany

All rights reserved.

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Stober Medien GmbH Eggenstein / Germany stober-medien.de

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Paper Inside Visual Part arto®satin, 150 g / sm

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Distributed by OVOL ovol.de

Spot Color

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Fonts

Dialogue A, 2023

Design: Cosimo Lorenzo Pancini & Andrea Tartarelli Label: Zetafonts / zetafonts.com

Felka Slab, 2020

Design: Thomas Thiemich Label: Type By / typeby.com

Reynaldo, 2020

Design: Benjamin Woodlock Label: Abstract Office / abstractoffice.xyz

Suisse Int’l , 2011

Design: Swiss Typefaces Design Team Label: Swiss Typefaces / swisstypefaces.com

DISCLAIMER

The publisher assumes no liability for the correctness, completeness, or up-to-dateness of the provided information. The publisher and editor assume that all materials made available for publication are free from third-party rights. If you believe that any content in this publication infringes upon your rights, please contact the publisher immediately.

Reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this publication requires the publisher’s prior written permission. While we strive to properly acknowledge all sources, inadvertent errors may occur.

Submitted photos and texts are welcome; however, the publisher assumes no liability for unsolicited materials. The views expressed in signed contributions do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or editor.

The German National Library lists this publication in the German National Bibliography; detailed bibliographic data is available on the Internet at dnb.de

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AWARDS (SELECTION)

ADC of Europe, ADC Germany, Annual Multimedia, Berliner Type, DDC, Designpreis der BRD, European Design Awards, Faces of Design Awards, iF communication design award, German Design Award, Laus Awards, Lead Awards (Weblog of the Year & Visual Leader),red dot communication design awards, Type Directors Club NY, Tokyo Type Directors Club, Werkbund Label

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to thank everyone who followed our call for submissions online in autumn 2024 and submitted hundreds of graphics, artworks, photos, and texts. It was not easy to make a selection. Unfortunately, due to the limited scope, we could not depict every work. We hope that for those who did not make it into the magazine, there will be another opportunity in the future.

Heartfelt thanks to Luna Şenyurt for her patience, precision, and tireless dedication in managing all communication with the participants of this issue. You are the spirit and driving energy behind this edition!

We thank our longtime friend and designer Markus Lange, who lived and taught in Cairo for many years, building deep ties with its people and culture. Through him, doors to the city’s creative scene opened for us. The Cairo Special Edition features motifs from his Tayara photo series (pp. 108/109), recalling the days when kites still flew above the rooftops. A postcard set of these motifs is available exclusively with the edition in our shop: slanted.de/product/special-edition-cairo

We share a long-standing friendship with the panEuropean fashion brand Reell, and we have once again collaborated on a special hoodie edition for this issue, featuring a design by calligrapher Negmedine Khaled. The various Arabic renderings of the word Slanted are showcased on the back of the sand-colored, highquality hoodie—limited to just 100 pieces, available exclusively at: slanted.de/product/cairo-hoodie

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Ahmet Şenyurt for so kindly connecting us with Hans Jakob Schindler—whose insightful and generous conversation about Egypt and the wider region proved to be both inspiring and deeply informative.

Our sincere thanks to Mahmoud Hamdy, who accompanied us on our journey to Cairo and later assisted us with Arabic typesetting and the design of the Contemporary Typefaces. Many thanks!

We are truly grateful to have met Nardine Shenouda and her team from ntsal. Their generous support with video editing and the fantastic film they created deeply touched us—we couldn’t be happier with the result.

We’re so grateful to Marian Misiak and René Wawrzkiewicz for joining us in Cairo. Thank you for the many faithful years of shared projects and encounters. The ride through the desert will always stay with us as a cherished memory.

This issue has been printed on different, great papers by OVOL—thanks a lot for the kind support, especially to Michaela Deckelmann, Sven Hamdorf, and Anna Boroday!

A big shout-out to our printing partner, Stober Medien near Karlsruhe, for their impeccable printing of this magazine. Our gratitude also goes to Marcus Grunvinck and the entire team for their outstanding work on this issue.

Finally, a special thank you to all our supporters and fans. Your enthusiasm, engagement, and willingness to share our work with the world help make Slanted the thriving design community it is today. We appreciate you!

We wish for peace and dignity for all people. We stand firmly against violence in every form. And we especially condemn the ongoing atrocities committed against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the occupied territories.

There is so much to see that your eyes burn and your breath falters.

In 2020, as Cairo slowed under lockdown, something unexpected filled the sky: tayarat —kites crafted from plastic scraps and bamboo, painted in football colors, national flags, or glowing with LED lights. In isolation, they became emblems of joy and creative freedom. Before long, authorities banned them, citing accidents and security concerns.

Our friend Markus Lange, who lived in Cairo for six years while teaching at the German University, documented this moment (see Special Edition and pp. 108–110). During our three visits (2019, 2023, 2025), he opened the city to us. One evening, he led us up a pigeon tower in the City of the Dead. As the sun set and hundreds of birds circled above, tea was served—and the idea for this issue was born.

When we returned in spring 2025 for research, we found a design scene alive with energy. Independent studios, collectives, platforms, conferences, and workshops now shape a landscape once dominated by global agencies. Their language is experimental, their themes urgent, their attitude unmistakably confident.

Cairo, of course, is always more than one story. At Jazz Club Cairo we stumbled into a set by Abo Sahar (Ashraf Abu Zeid), a musician from El Minya and creator of Trobby—a raw fusion of electro-shaabi, trap, Sufi, and folk. His first instrument is nothing more than a computer keyboard. “I grew up without electricity, internet, or instruments,” he says, “and I managed to make sound out of anything.” Today he tours abroad, yet stays rooted in his village. This spirit—creating something out of almost nothing—recalls an older question: how, thousands of years ago, were the pyramids raised from the desert? The Step Pyramid of Saqqara, built around 2700 BCE, is considered the world’s first monumental stone structure. It represents transition: from individual to collective memory, from craft to architecture, from earthly life to eternity. Egypt itself remains in transition, balancing past and present, tradition and change—from Old Cairo to the New Administrative Capital. This issue is not a comprehensive analysis. It is a fragment, an approach, and an invitation to look closer.

This issue of Slanted Magazine goes along with additional video interviews which have been conducted in February 2025 by the Slanted team in Cairo.

To watch the videos, please scan the QR code, or visit slanted.de/cairo