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COLOR AS WITNESS

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Color as Witness is a poster series that captures the layered identity of Beirut through its architecture, where color becomes a storytelling device. Each design focuses on a specific structure or neighborhood, with hues directly inspired by the tones of the buildings themselves—from the pastel facades of Gemmayzeh to the sun-washed stone of Downtown. The grey-toned posters mark a different kind of landmark: buildings abandoned or scarred by Lebanon’s civil war, now part of the city’s collective memory.


A single line runs through every composition, referencing the tangle of electrical wires that thread through Beirut’s streets. These lines serve as both literal and symbolic connectors—tying the city’s many contradictions together into a shared visual language.


Beyond their graphic presence, these posters also function as personal artifacts—quiet mementos of place and memory. For expats and members of the diaspora, Color as Witness offers a sense of familiarity and emotional connection, acting as a form of visual belonging for those who carry Beirut with them, wherever they are.

Challenge

Visually translating Beirut’s deeply layered architectural history—marked by conflict, beauty, and resilience—was a complex task. Each building holds decades of untold stories, and while I wanted to acknowledge the city’s scars, I didn’t want the project to feel heavy or mournful. The goal was to honor what remains without romanticizing or erasing what was lost, and to capture Beirut’s emotional depth through a minimalist lens.

Solution

I approached this by using color as the narrative thread; each palette pulled directly from the facades of real buildings, allowing the architecture itself to speak. To unify the system, I designed a custom typeface inspired by the same cut-off lines used to abstract the buildings. The type’s geometric nature gave structure to the posters while also standing as an architectural object in itself—versatile enough to become memorabilia on its own. The result is a quiet but powerful portrayal of Beirut’s enduring presence.

Challenge

Visually translating Beirut’s deeply layered architectural history—marked by conflict, beauty, and resilience—was a complex task. Each building holds decades of untold stories, and while I wanted to acknowledge the city’s scars, I didn’t want the project to feel heavy or mournful. The goal was to honor what remains without romanticizing or erasing what was lost, and to capture Beirut’s emotional depth through a minimalist lens.

Solution

I approached this by using color as the narrative thread; each palette pulled directly from the facades of real buildings, allowing the architecture itself to speak. To unify the system, I designed a custom typeface inspired by the same cut-off lines used to abstract the buildings. The type’s geometric nature gave structure to the posters while also standing as an architectural object in itself—versatile enough to become memorabilia on its own. The result is a quiet but powerful portrayal of Beirut’s enduring presence.

Challenge

Visually translating Beirut’s deeply layered architectural history—marked by conflict, beauty, and resilience—was a complex task. Each building holds decades of untold stories, and while I wanted to acknowledge the city’s scars, I didn’t want the project to feel heavy or mournful. The goal was to honor what remains without romanticizing or erasing what was lost, and to capture Beirut’s emotional depth through a minimalist lens.

Solution

I approached this by using color as the narrative thread; each palette pulled directly from the facades of real buildings, allowing the architecture itself to speak. To unify the system, I designed a custom typeface inspired by the same cut-off lines used to abstract the buildings. The type’s geometric nature gave structure to the posters while also standing as an architectural object in itself—versatile enough to become memorabilia on its own. The result is a quiet but powerful portrayal of Beirut’s enduring presence.

Poster Series

Typography

Beirut (Custom Type) | All Caps

Beirut (Custom Type) | All Caps

Phone Cases

Postcard

Framed Posters