DUBAI: Dubai’s contemporary art scene is embracing the beauty of imperfection with “Khali Balak Men RISO,” a new group exhibition at artist and designer studio Tashkeel that explores the creative possibilities of risograph printing through the work of 10 creatives.
Opened on July 19 and running to Aug. 21, the exhibition includes practitioners from across the UAE’s creative landscape, each offering a distinct interpretation of a printing process known for its vibrant colors, layered textures and unpredictable results.
Unlike conventional printing, risograph embraces slight imperfections. Colors may overlap unexpectedly, ink coverage can vary and images rarely align with mechanical precision.
Rather than flaws, these characteristics have become the medium’s defining appeal, giving every print a unique, handcrafted quality.
For curator Ibrahim Zaki, those qualities are precisely what make the process so compelling. “Risograph printing has a very distinctive character because it never feels completely controlled or mechanically perfect,” he said.
“Slight misregistration, uneven ink coverage and unexpected color overlaps become part of the artwork rather than mistakes that need to be corrected.”
Zaki says working with risograph encourages him to relinquish control and allow the printing process to shape the final outcome.
“I think artists enjoy this unpredictability because it allows the printing process to participate in the creative outcome,” he noted. “Each print carries subtle differences, which gives it a human and almost handmade quality.”
That sense of experimentation is reflected throughout the exhibition, which features posters, prints, cards and other works by artists including Ahmed Mansour, Aysha Saif Al-Hemrani Al-Shamsi, Bassem Boules, Dina Saadi, Mariam Abbas, Mohannad Orabi, Nasir Nasrallah, Sara Baali, Weam S. Ali and Zaki himself.
Despite working with the same process and a deliberately limited color palette, each artist arrived at dramatically different results.
“Some artists focused on illustration, photography or typography, while others approached RISO through abstraction, storytelling or archival material,” Zaki explained.
“The limitations did not make the works feel similar; instead, they encouraged each artist to make more intentional choices.”
The exhibition’s playful title hints at the medium’s personality. Translating roughly as “Watch out for RISO” or “Pay attention to RISO,” the “Khali Balak Men RISO” show reimagines a familiar Arabic expression as an invitation to look more closely.
“It becomes playful, energetic and slightly unexpected,” said Zaki. “RISO can surprise you, challenge your expectations and produce outcomes that you may not have originally planned.”
Zaki hopes risograph printing will continue to serve as an accessible platform for experimentation, particularly for emerging creatives.
“It encourages experimentation without demanding perfection,” he said. “I would love to see more young practitioners use RISO not only as a printing technique, but as a way to build communities, collaborate and develop their own visual language.”
