Typographic Blocks

Imagine a world in which words are treated as structures, texts represent buildings, and language is a physical and spatial entity. The letterforms of the alphabet are the core blocks to spell a word stacked on top of each other. Adding letters one by one, putting in the missing dots and arranging the shapes creates a structure, which by itself represents a building. A home. The gaps in-between the letters, the negative shapes between the blocks create a balance and harmony. They are different between two letters and vary from word to word. In a sense they are unique to every home.

The gaps show the unspoken memories—the instants that remind us to put life on pause. These are the moments in life that words cannot describe. Even in a world that words and language are tangible life happens in the gaps in-between the spoken matters.

Concept—Practice

Concept—Practice is a community-rooted platform for empowering the next generation of academics to achieve their dream pedagogical careers.

I founded Concept—Practice to empower young designers to achieve their dream creative pedagogical practices. While we focus on supporting and celebrating anyone who identifies as a woman, we acknowledge that anyone can face the obstacles we experience can be faced by anyone to various extents. We aim to avoid exclusivity based on gender and believe that addressing the inequity of resources and research would benefit broad audiences.

GoLocal—
participatory workshop

The goal of the project was to nurture autonomy and community in a multicultural context, focusing on refugee and asylum-seeker children.

We began with basic assumptions that belonging to a community is the foundation of autonomy and fulfillment; and communication is key in feeling part of the community and being accepted in it. Then we set the goal to facilitate a participatory workshop for the students of a sanctuary school in Brighton.

Then we set the goal to facilitate a participatory workshop for the students of a sanctuary school in Brighton. It was a day-long program of games and workshops discussing topics from playing outside to losing family members, migration, and home. Participants also taught each other different languages and shared something about their culture through drawing characters and making collages. At the end of the day the students presented their final piece to the group regardless of the level of their English.


GoLocal Video—Sanctuary from Sara Jamshidi on Vimeo.
Collaborators: Greg Pepper, Samantha Kitchener, John Gulian, and Shankho Chaudhuri. Video by Shankho Chaudhuri.

Food Workshop

The food workshop was held as part of a series of experiences, The Last Supper, held by Laura Gordon and Mariana Sameiro at the Royal College of Art’s 24-hour food party.

Our project explored food as a facilitator of collaboration within a community. Participants had few tools such as straws, spoons, and glasses that they couldn’t share with each anyone else. However, they found collaboration methods to ensure everyone got the Polish borscht, red wine, and the appetizers served in balloons. The workshop was documented in the painting that was left on the canvas on the floor.

In collaboration with Rachel Sale, Kate Ducker, and Cerise Day.

We art! Together

We art! Together is a movement created to unite the University of Connecticut community through arts in order to advance their shared ideas.

Art Direction: Edvin yegir
Designed in Collaboration with: Celia Poirier, Danielle Nachowitzx