Mariam Elias
My passion for adverting started long time ago with Benetton’s Shocking ads and Coca Cola's " Always Coca Cola's " Jingle.
I have completed my BA studies in Integrated Marketing Communication at the American University of Cairo, my graduation project was a campaign against street bulling and it won the best “Use OF Research” Award from JWT advertising agency. Later, I studies Interior & set Design at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo and my graduation project was an art direction of set/graphics/costumes to turn a novel entitled " Sunset oasis" into a film. I have also obtained a master degree in Cultural & Heritage Management from the University of Turin, Italy in collaboration with ITCILO and UNESCO and my thesis project was about turning the hunted palace" Baron" into a site specific museum.
I have directed a documentary film entitled “ Drawing On A Nude Body” that tackles the issue of ban of nude modeling in the faculties of art in Egypt. The documentary was reviewed in Frieze art magazine, toured several festivals and won best directing award at the Cairo's National Film Festival.
I have worked as an art critic in several newspapers and wrote a bilingual book about the young generation of Egyptian artists. Entitled " Thawret El Loool": Chats with Young Egyptian Artists. later, I wrote another one entitled "The Net Hunter" about memes and digital culture: link: http://issuu.com/manarelsheikh/docs/dummysmall.
My design experience varied between graphic where I designed book covers and logos and furniture as I started my personal project entitled " Paradoxia Furniture". Check the website: www.paradoxia-designs.com.
I have also worked as Copywriter in a digital advertising agency and script writer for a sarcastic TV show Called " Midnight Government"
I believe an advertiser/ creative director should be able to create anything from a copy to a graphic poster and I wish to be able to create ads that influence our pop culture.