Me, Her & Them

The Dominant Lebanese Aesthetic & Elusive Agency

BFA in Graphic Design Final project & thesis at The American University of Beirut
Second place winner at the Areen Awards for Excellence in Graphic Design | Beirut 2012

The research and fieldwork can be found on this link

This project was the result of a year long research as a senior student at the American Univeristy of Beirut which resulted in a thesis titled "The Dominant Lebanese aesthetic & Elusive Agency".

Most of the field work done on this dissertation was done in beauty parlors across Beirut. I found it to be the perfect place to gather real time insight on how image is being consumed (through magazines and streaming music stations) and how image is being produced (the main purpose of the beauty parlor). Of coarse all the while observing a world we usually dismiss as frivilous; however it proved to be a precious peep hole into the minds of over 60% of Lebanon's population. Women still have little to no representation in the government and still fall victim to archaic sexist laws. The results were eye opening, the beauty parlor is no more a stop to prep but I regard it as a part ammunition store and part safe haven. The only place where the duality of the real Lebanese women exhibits itself so vividly.

Above is a detail of the opening spread that sparked the idea behind the entire editorial design. The news letter is based on "self image" as the "Winning Card". The design was intentionally within a newspaper format as a way to capture attention in between stacks of glossy magazines & to challenge the viewer within their present context.

The New letter curated a series of articles that were meant to spark controversy amongst parlor visitors. An image of Lebanon's equivalent of Rihanna along side the president juxtaposed with an ad from the local classified asking for " Good looking Lebanese girls. Honest job. 1000 $ / night"

I felt that this composition along side a sober article that elaborates on the fact that local banks are giving "plastic Surgery loans" with a attractive pay back rates might bring in a multitude of thoughts to the reader. the objective is to correlate the notions of Lebanon's "Sex tourism" along side the idea of "Democratizing beauty for all with facile loans" and present them in an unprecedented manner.

Some of the most famous faces of Lebanese pop and TV expressed as visual noise.

An interview conducted with a very attractive student who had more than 1,500 friends on Facebook (mostly male). She would upload an image or 10 on a daily basis. However upon interviewing her this powerful image was shattered and simply put "I don't smile because i am ugly".