Gazing Within
Nadia Alhejailan
Salvador Dali said, “knowing how to look is a way of inventing.” Surrealism is a cultural movement which caused artists to create unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques. It is to delve into the subconscious mind and unlock the power of imagination, disdaining rationalism, and literary realism.
Gazing Within is inspired by this illogical way of looking and interpreting. It takes the form of three books, a calendar, and five animations. The books show my illustrations and stories I have written with a surrealistic point of view, turning them into something you can physically touch. The animations allow there to be movement and lightness to my illustrations and thoughts. Throughout all the creations, I use a sans serif typeface for the roundness and fullness it brings to my books, as well as grounding with consistency of type.
I chose to visualize and grow my own subconscious thoughts by creating a mutualistic relationship between intent, image, and text. Therefore, everything is up for interpretation, and how the viewer chooses to see, which I think is one of the most luminous parts of this movement. As a designer, I intend on creating with this illogical way of seeing, allowing the viewer to interpret it in their own way, reflecting on the most important aspects of surrealism.