Designer: Masoud Agahei
Client: Mehregan Charity Institute
Size: 70 x 100 cm
Printing Process: Offset
Number of Inks: One
There are two things I am a sucker for (well, three, if you count photos people post of their dogs on Instagram): hand done typography, and a curling moustache. Unable to read the copy, it was the feelings evoked by the simple illustration in Iranian designer Masoud Agahei's poster that drew me in. Needing only a few shapes, and a single solid color, Agahei left me with this delightful notion of playfulness, and an inquisitive mind. Serious, yet almost child-like.
When I had the chance to discuss the poster in more detail with him, I was stunned by how on target his design truly was. "Rebirth is an event which refers to an annual painting exhibition by mentally handicapped adult men at the Mehregan Institute," he explains. Working with men between the ages of 40 and 60, they learn to paint in groups, culminating in a charity exhibition, highlighting their talent and drawing needed funds and attention to their program.
"In my visits to the Institute," Agahei says, "I found these people to have very passionate emotions, and the ability to paint simply and with the directness of a child." Speaking with them at length, he noticed the men "have so many things to talk about, much like when a child returns from his travels, but they have the obstacle of not being able to verbally communicate in the detail that they desire. The painting is, in turn, the greatest way for them to communicate with others."
Absorbing all of this, he created a "childish painted face of a man, filled with numerous words in his brain, trying to get out, placing the event information in here." The style is to approximate the "simple atmosphere of the paintings in the exhibition," and the use of the single color - gold is "chosen to impart the happiness brought about by the process and the colorful paints they use."
One thing is very clear: Agahei loves and respects this program and the people involved. That part requires no translation.
You can always get John Foster's thoughts on posters in book form via New Masters of Poster Design, New Masters of Poster Design: Volume Two, 1,000 Indie Posters and many more.
NOTE: Poster of the Week runs every Wednesday. Check it out each week!
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