Downside-Up

Me and my business partner Sagar Ghoting were assigned to develop the branding for MEAT – an independent art gallery based out of Cairo.

We helped MEAT to present a new perspective on art, and on the Middle East. It allows works of art to be seen in new ways, and to have new effects on the gallery visitor. Any way you choose to look at it, however, MEAT is trustworthy, authentic, and knowledgeable.

This logo is a rotational ambigram, meaning that it is the same whether it is viewed right-side-up or upside-down. Not only does this provide an interesting visual language for future campaigns, but it also has metaphorical meanings that we think will add value to the MEAT brand, and start the gallery off on a strong heading.

The gallery is hoping to be a starting point for conversations between different cultures, particularly between the West and the Middle East. When cultures come together in any sense, both sides are often left feeling that the other side is somehow “backwards” or “upside-down.”

The message of MEAT is that even when another person’s point of view appears to be different, the language of art can make it understood, and can produce common ground.

The upside-down motif can also be used to visually explain MEAT’s goal of changing not only Egypt’s art scene, but the way people think about themselves, their society, and the world. To experience MEAT is to be forced to see every issue from a variety of perspectives and achieve a holistic outlook.

Visually, the logo is designed as a contemporary English language logo with subtle Arabic undertones; elements such as the black squares and the weight of the lines recall Arabic writing without being obviously “Middle Eastern.” Finally, it is based on a classic font, Didot, allowing it to be visually interesting while being grounded, relevant, and timeless.