Women Designers in the Middle East

Sherry Blankenship writes in her Article 'Pioneers of Design in the Middle East' about five women who have graduated from Notre Dame University (Lebanon) as Graphic Designers, and ventured into the rest of the Arab World in pursuit of their careers.


"These women are equipped with solid design education, international experiences, multilingual expertise and interpersonal skills. In this post 9/11 world, these women illustrate that designers of this geo-political region have turned away from seeking design leadership from the West to developing a visual language unique to the region—a visual language that integrates their own traditions and that honors the aesthetics and needs of the countries in which they live and work.


There is an increasing sense of pride in place and in the legacy of the cultures of the people here that is coming into its own. They are keenly aware of their unique historical precedence and feel it is imperative to honor rather than ignore it.


Several mentioned attending conferences in Dubai and Doha as incredibly important ways of staying current and in developing further knowledge and understanding of regional work and trends. Increasing numbers of publications (design and otherwise) are emerging with content of and from the region. It is a good and exciting time to be a designer in this region and a women in
particular.


Four out of Five case studies felt that being a woman was irrelevant and sometimes an advantage since they immediately gained respect.


For the most part, these women are not revolutionaries of style but of practice. They are setting new benchmarks for design, pushing limitations of media and processes while making huge changes possible in the field. Through this evolving attitude, they are also changing the role of women in graphic design. Their purposes initially were to locate themselves but in the process, they have been able to anticipate, encourage and provide support for increasing numbers of women who are coming to design in the Middle East."


'Pioneers of Design in the Middle East', Sherry Blankenship (2005?)