JEDDAH — Dar Al-Hekma University hosted its 10th visual communication design exhibition that paid tribute to the late King Abdullah's vision for women's education in Saudi Arabia. The exhibition, which finished on Monday, was held under the patronage of Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah and showcased the work of the university's graduating seniors. It aimed to facilitate their integration into the job market after graduation by attracting the attendance of advertising agencies and business professionals. Prince Faisal opened the exhibition and took a tour with university officials. President of Dar Al-Hekma University Dr. Suhair Hassan Al-Qurashi said: “The visual communications program has been one of the most popular majors in Dar Al-Hekma University. “I have received many testimonials throughout the years about the level of the professionalism, distinctiveness and creativity our graduates exhibit and this proves that we are guiding them down the right path.” The exhibition, called “A King's Vision”, was a tribute to King Abdullah and attempted to memorialize his dedication to women's education in the Kingdom as well as his support for Dar Al-Hekma University. This year, the visual communication exhibition presented 54 senior projects that varied in themes, materials and production. Sultan Ghaznawi, managing director of MDM Brand Communication, hired three alumni as well as five interns during the exhibition. He said: “I come to this exhibition every year and I noticed the high increase in the number of visitors, which reflects the quality of work that is increasing from one generation to the next. “I was part of the panel that was evaluating the visual communication graduates portfolio last week and I saw the educational part behind their work, and that they are getting insights from international standards and implementing this knowledge into their work and this is what makes them stand out from other university graduates.” Reem Bawazeer created an “image driven book that captures the soul and culture of the city of Jeddah” under the title “From A Wide-Eyed Lens: Jeddah”. She said: “The book is a visual narrative of Jeddah and takes readers on an unconventional tour through the unexplored gems and showcases the small details that have given the places the energy it has. Furthermore, the book comes with a set of stencils and stickers that encourages readers to take part in the series.” Hend Saleh said: “We live in an era of busy schedules and time passes quickly; we sometimes do not have time to make ourselves and the people around us happy. “Therefore, I came up with Bashush, which is a campaign based on Instagram that inspires youth to implement Islamic manners in their daily lives because Islam is not only about praying and fasting, it is about treating others in a decent way and making positive change to the people around you. The campaign successfully got a lot of followers on Instagram and much participation.” Notable graduates from the university's visual communications department include Bayan Abuzinadah, co-founder and art director of Destination Jeddah Magazine; Kholoud Attar, founder of Design Magazine; and Soraya Darwish and Mariam Hamidaddin, co-founders of Onqoud.
