The “GULF GRAPHICS” archive is an effort to centralize found content pertaining to camp kitschy Arab pop cultural graphic design, spearheaded by visual artist and designer Tariq AlObaid.

“GULF GRAPHICS” a term coined by Saudi archivist Jude Al Keraishan, pertains to Arab designed media from the late 1990s to approximately mid-2010s that is known for its garish and maximalist sensibilities, inspired by music, media, and the Internet.

The archive was developed as part of AlObaid’s graduate communications design thesis explorations at Pratt Institute, as an ever-evolving immortal digital space meant to document the Gulf Graphics aesthetic in all its forms, after most Arab internet spaces from the early 2000s were nearly permanently lost to the digital ether. The archive was also inspired by numerous social media accounts, such as @dj.fouz, @trashy_files, @mareeeekh, that also document instances of early 21st century Arab popular culture.

You are encouraged to contribute to the archive by submitting via the CONTACT/SUBMIT link below, include your media and all pertaining identifiable information such as the creator, date of creation, where it was found, and significance (if any).