Nagy Shaker: An Experimental Graphic Artist of the Egyptian Avant-Garde

Nagy Shaker (1932–2018) is one of the most influential figures in the history of modern Egyptian design. He is also considered the godfather of modern Egyptian puppetry as he introduced the art to the country. (A puppeteering graphic designer? Sounds familiar.) He designed and directed several seminal performances for the Egyptian Puppet Theater Company and enriched Egyptian theater and film with outstanding sets and costume designs. He also worked in editorial design in Cairo in Dar El-Hilal and many others, until he set up his own multidisciplinary design studio in 1980 and carried out various graphic design projects for UNICEF. His design solutions instigated a shift in cinema posters and introduced a modernist approach to editorial design. Nagy Shaker is someone to know.