I started Mafi Nawa in the Bay Area out of a deep love for Arabic calligraphy. I grew up in Lebanon, and I've always been drawn to the work of artists across Asia who brought letters to life with fluid motion and bold expression, a fascination that has shaped my own approach to blending tradition with experimentation.
My work lives at the crossroads of design, contemporary art, traced calligraphy, and graffiti. I explore how language, form, and texture can convey emotion—sometimes loud and raw, sometimes quiet and layered.
Mafi Nawa is both personal and political. It’s a creative space where I experiment to tell stories that feel familiar, humorous, or unresolved. Through this project, I hope to keep reimagining what Arabic script can be on canvas, in public spaces, and on objects we use daily.
— Marwan
Where I’m Coming From
My work is rooted in the rhythm of my culture, the stories I've inherited, and the values that continue to guide me.
Button labelWhat My Work Speaks To
Mafi Nawa exists between humor and heaviness. I want the work to speak to people who’ve contended with the absurdity of systems, who are concerned with language and culture, and who know what it means to laugh while breaking.
Button labelWhat I’m Exploring Now
I’ve been experimenting with moving traced calligraphy into abstraction and letting it break, stretch, and sometimes disappear behind color and form. I'm drawn to layering and chaos. While the work remains rooted in language, it is constantly in motion.
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