DESIGN + ARTS + CULTURE

Richard Kahwagi


Creative Director & Visual Artist


Beirut-born graphic designer and polyglot problem solver. I specialise in creative direction and have an avid love for all things typography (Latin and Arabic letterforms).

My practice primarily spans the arts + culture and activism fields; it is research-centered and queer-focussed. My work has been exhibited, published, and sold.

📍Tiohtià:ke/Montréal

Co-founder of Queer Health and Prepster. Creative Director of The Love Tank.

Email; Instagram; Soundcloud





Exhibitons:

Learning from ACT UP: Tactics of Direct Action, The University of California, Irvine’s Room Gallery, 05 October to 14 December 2024

Origin of Life, part of DesignTO Festival - Toronto, 19–28 January 2024

Transport for London: Pride 2021 - Brixton, London September 2021

→ 1PRCNT 2007-2017: Retrospective - Beirut Terraces, Beirut Central District, 21 to 30 December 2017

The City in The City - Sursock Museum, Beirut, Lebanon, 9 October 2015 to 11 January 2016

→ Lomography Exhibition, 6:05 depeche mode, Beirut, Lebanon December 2012

→ Good Sex, Alt City, Beirut 2011

→ Project Mulsaq, Traffic, Dubai, UAE, 2008

Matchmaking Amsterdam-Beirut, Khatt Foundation, Art Lounge, Beirut, Lebanon 2007



Publications:

Divine, Issue 4, ‘Joy : Diagrams’, May 2020

Journal Safar, Issue 4, Feature: Something Really Difficult to Erase, July 2019

→ Ballroom Express, The Ballroom Blitz journal, LP/EP reviews, May 2019

DOUBT magazine, ‘The Typefaces of SLAF Street’, September 2018

→ L'Officiel-Hommes - March/April/May Issue 63, ‘Disco Halal et Délices D'orient’, 2016

→ Queer Geographies: Beirut, Tijuana, Copenhagen - Museet for Samtidskunst, Roskilde, Denmark 2014

→ L'Officiel-Levant - October Issue 49, ‘British Beyrouth,’ 2014

→ 'Revolution/Evolution GD20' American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon 2013

→ Quint Magazine, Artist highlight, 2008

Visual Politics - Volume 2, Online interactive archive, 2007
Conferences & Workshops:

→ Design Culture Day | Fall ‘21 Foundation Program: Mentor — School of Architecture & Design, Lebanese American University, Beirut, October 2021

TypeCon, Talk: Arabic Typography and Popular Culture — Boston MA, August 26 2017

Data4chan.ge, Beirut Edition 2: Organiser, Pecha Kucha sessions curator, and speaker — Ashkal Alwan, Beirut, Nov 25 - Nov 29 2016

Data4chan.ge, Beirut Edition: Organiser & Mentor — Ashkal Alwan, Beirut, Nov 28 – Dec 02 2015

Tasmeem Doha International Design Conference, Pink Tank: TasmeemLab: Making Through Linking — Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, Doha 2011



Live Mixes:

LILITH MADE ME DO IT: Shitân Disco & Other Sinful Treats, 2019

LIVE AT GLASTONBURY: The Meat Rack, Block9's The NYC Downlow, 2017

NICE ’N NAASTY: Music from and Inspired by Porn, Cold Cuts, 2017



Selected Past Work:

2014 — 2017:
Creative Lead at Small Media – London, UK

2012 — 2013:
Senior Art Director for the Red Bull MENA account at Interesting Times – Beirut, Lebanon



Education:

2013 — 2014:
Year 1, Masters of Arts (MA) in Innovation Management — Central Saint Martins, London, UK

2002 — 2006:
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Graphic Design — American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon