Early Works
Hisham Al Madhloum’s early foray into graphic design reveals some of his early influences, from Arabic calligraphy to Islamic architecture and geometric patterns. Using mainly manual techniques such as painting and rotary cutting, much of Al Madhloum’s early designs are proposals for various sports associations, student organizations, and social campaigns. They incorporated conceptions of national identity and local culture with a strong emphasis on Arabic calligraphy as a key design element. As part of his self-education, Al Madhloum recalls an early impulse to collect an international range of graphic design books, from which he drew inspiration as he developed his understanding of the discipline.
Posters
As a founding member of the Emirates Fine Arts Society, Hisham Al Madhloum was deeply embedded in the milieu of artists, writers, actors, and theatre directors that pioneered the artistic movement in the UAE in the early 80s. Al Madhloum describes this engagement as instrumental; his growing consciousness of his fundamental interest in graphic design stood in contrast to the fine art discourse of the time, which deemed design a lesser, mainly functional art form. Interestingly, Al Madhloum’s persistent belief in the importance of design as a tool for mass communication came into effect when he was commissioned by his art peers to design posters for the Art Society’s various activities.
Sharjah TV & Asian Cup
The Sharjah TV and 1996 Asian Cup Championship logos are arguably some of the most nationally representative works the designer has produced. With almost a decade between them, these works demonstrate the different ways in which Al Madhloum integrated national symbols within his design. The Sharjah TV logo, of which he created 53 versions before arriving to the final one, incorporates three main elements: the falcon bird representing the UAE, the sun to reflect the city of Sharjah, and the mehrab as an Islamic architecture motif depicting the country’s religious identity. In contrast, the Asian Cup logo is a modernist exploration of mirroring and numbers combined with a subtle integration of Islamic patterns in the football design. Both works show Al Madhloum’s different interpretations of design as a tool for national representation on the local and global level.