Naylaz's Blog

هي…

naylaz — Thu, 05 May 2011 19:51:09 +0000

هي صورةٌ، عابرةٌ، ملتبسةٌ
هي إمرأةٌ بأنوثتها متألقةٌ
هي موسيقى القلب متّقدة

هي ذكرى زوبعة مؤجّجة
هي منجم غرائز مؤجّلة
هي يتم حواس مشتعلة

هي ذئاب بمكرها متهكّمة
بضعف فريستها متحكّمة
هي صراع ذاكرة متملّكة
ببصمات أمسها متربّصة
هي أزقة الحياة منمّقة
بجدار النسيان معلّقة

هي الأحلام…
سبات يقظة مفعمة
بثقل الأيّام مضرّجة

نايلة زيادة1/5/2011

…كمن

naylaz — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:00:54 +0000

كمن يساكن الليل… خلسةً
يسرق السكينة… برهةً
يلتحف عريّ الفراغ… حشمةً
يجادل نفسه… خجلاً

كمن يعبر الطريق… لحظةً
يحاكي الأحزان… وجعاً
يلاطف العمر… رهيناً
يتحايل على الموت… حنكةً

كمن سبقه القطار…غفلةً
سقط عن خريطة حياته… سهوةً
أشلاء في زحام الأيام تشرذم
بقايا عن أرصفة الزمان تلملم

2011/3/31 نايلة زيادة

The Evolution of “Beauty”

naylaz — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:00:06 +0000

Is there a universal definition of beauty?
Is beauty a question of perfection or an issue of harmony?
Is the ideal female body that which reflects a given age’s ideal of beauty?

Beauty has never been absolute; it has always been dependant on the historical period of a country and on the country itself.
Beauty has always been perceived differently by the media and the art world.

In fact, female charm portrayed by the Egyptians was very different from that depicted by the Greeks in the 5th century BC, or by the 19th century Romantics or by the 20th century society.
The concept of beauty has altered with time; the rounded woman, who inspired lots of artists throughout ages and stayed the ideal for many centuries, was replaced in the 20th century for it contrasted the standards suggested by the mass media.

The contemporary norms of beauty are hence forced by glossy magazines, movies and television shows. Femme fatale (the Playboy icon), the girl next door and sex kitten are few examples of (imposed) female stereotypes.

The emancipation of women as well as the sexual revolution (also known as sexual liberation of the 1960s) and rising financial freedom have all contributed to the foundation of new (contradictory) understandings of beauty.

Baz Luhrmann’s commandment in the very famous “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” says it all: “do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.”

Art versus Design

naylaz — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 20:00:50 +0000

Whereas art responds to self-imposed challenges, design answers the demands of the consumer. Design can only rise to the level of art when a designer has the vision and the ability to realize the (intense) capability of an idea.

“Design (noun: general concept of the field) is to design (verb: action or process) a design (noun: one idea or proposal) to produce a design (noun: some finished product, actual result).”

Designers are thus requested to consider how their daily operations and created imagery influence the environment, cultural identity, as well as the future well-being of their industry.
Designers are in a very exclusive position of being “creative problem solvers”. Henceforth, the dispute moves beyond “how to get the job done, to how to get the job done in an imaginative way”.

“I’ve been amazed at how often those outside the discipline of design assume that what designers do is decoration. Good design is problem solving.” Jeffrey Veen, consultant involved in designing various leading blog and social media applications on the web, including Blogger, TypePad, Flickr, and National Public Radio.

Lebanese…WHO are WE?

naylaz — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 20:00:08 +0000

Who are we?

What is the essence of our cultural heritage?

Is it possible to link the gap between our cultural background and our evolving practices and lifestyles?

Which aspects of this cultural background are the most vital?

Which elements are worth sticking to in all conditions?

Where do the margins of our identity lie?

When and how could we involve ourselves in this continuously innovative “alien world”?

somewhere in between…

naylaz — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:00:47 +0000

Somewhere in between its Arabic affiliation and Western influence, Lebanon has become a synthesis of intermingled cultures with confused orientation.

In a country with disguised duplicity and “veiled” identity, social life has become quite intricate and complex. It is the dilemma of schizophrenia that makes living in such society more of an infuriation than a delight.

The constant inspection and surveillance of people’s behaviors and personal pursuits sorts the latter into labeled categories. Privacy is thus constantly prosecuted and put on trial (rhetorical sense).

Fake attitudes toward particular taboo issues deviates the society into sure hypocrisy. Punishment (in terms of social evaluation) is thus to the liberated minds.

This attitude is thus manipulative, leading to more destructive thinking, mumbled sexuality, and thirsting yet suppressed aspirations.

أبحث عن نفسي

naylaz — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:00:26 +0000

أبحث عن نفسي، تنقطع أنفاسي
أتوه في عالمي، أناجي أحلامي
أخاطب ذاتي، أسائل أشجاني
عن عمر ولّ وبعثرته الأيام

ألهف للقاء، أطارد أوهامي
أشيّع قلباً رقص على أنغام
معزوفة النسيان وشهوة الألوان

أنظر في المرآة، أقابل شبيهتي
تزيّن قالباً قست عليه الأقدار
تستر قلباً رست عليه الأحزان

أبعثر أوراقي، ألملم أطرافي
بكبرياء صمت أستجمع قوامي
كطائر فينيق من عمق رماد يصارع
شللاً قسرياً وفناء أبدياً يقاوم

نايلة زيادة26/10/2010

سقط القناع

naylaz — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 20:00:59 +0000

سقط القناع وانجلت
غرائز الأنا وارتسمت
معالم الخبث وانسترت
بثوب الحمل واختبأت

بكت الشّمعة وانطفأت
انسكبت الدّمعة واختنقت
كلهب جمرة احترقت
كشهب نار اخترقت

تشرذمت الكلمات وانحبست
نوبات الجنون وانفجرت
شراسة العشق وارتطمت
بصاعقة الخيبة وانهزمت

سقط القناع وتسلّلت
لسعة الألم وارتوت
من صمت شلل وسكنت
جوف جرح ولعبت
معزوفة فرح ورقصت ورقصت ورقصت

نايلة زيادة17/9/2010

Vitrine- فيترين

naylaz — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:00:42 +0000

Meeting with the director, Mr. Nehme Nehme:

When asked the cliché question, “what do you do (in life)”, the “normal” answer was (and still is) interior designer.
Mr. Nehme however asked an unanticipated question “what do you really like to do?”
Why unanticipated? It coincided with a phrase I had read a few days before our meeting:
(“يسألونك مثلاً ماذا تعمل… لا ماذا كنت تريد أن تكون.” أحلام مستغانمي ، “فوضى الحواس” ص.79)
It is not the “philosophical” significance of the question as much as it is Mr. Nehme’s “intellectual” approach to the issue that intrigued my attention.

THE play:

Vitrine- فيترين is a play reflecting two mannequins’ “lives” behind a display window (of a store in Beirut), witnessing all the voices and echoes of the streets, the buildings, the cars, the city, its chaos and disorder …
Vitrine- فيترين reflects people’s worries and concerns. It is a sincere interpretation of the city we live in, its contradictions, its inconsistencies, and its variations.

Besides the very appealing scenario and visuals, the actresses’ (Aida Sabra and Julia Kassar) well balanced body movements, costumes and facial expressions added more coherence to the play.
The play of shadows added a sense of dynamism and liveliness.
The play’s closure is the mannequins’ understanding of the existing social situation with all its fakeness and “insanity”.

photos from the play (http://therefordesign.net/blog/)

Selected quotes: (slang Lebanese)
متل الغبرة بلا أحلام
الحيط عم يحميني حتّى من حالي
القصص بتشبهنا مش الكتب
الحيطان بتحمي الأحلام
الحيطان عندا قصص تخبّرا
الحيطان عم ترسم صور
الذاكرة متل البرغي المصدّي بالمفصل
اسكتي صيري متل الضجر

*thank you Mr.Nehme Nehme for your time and for the exceptional play

في يديك…بين يديك

naylaz — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:00:19 +0000

في يديك براءة عذبة ورغبة معذّبة
بين يديك عفّة دافئة ومتعة صارخة

في يديك لهفة أزليّة ولذّة أبديّة
بين يديك رضوخ قصريّ واستسلام كلّي

في يديك لغز مستتر وغموض ساحر
بين يديك حواس متأهّبة وهواجس متناقضة

في يديك استفزاز جارف وشهوة صاخبة
بين يديك أشلاء جسد خضع حدّ السّخرة

نايلة زيادة1/9/2010