The South Australian National Football League multicultural football

2019

The aim of this project was to tell Arman Abrahimzadeh’s multicultural story through the artwork on the football. Here is a link to Arman’s story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arman_Abrahimzadeh

After several conversations with Arman and Matthew Diglio, the SANFL Multicultural Programs Coordinator, I decided to focus on Arman’s Iranian cultural heritage as well as the notion of Liberty and its relevance to many migrants’ stories in Australia.

The design features black Persian calligraphy in the shape of a bird spreading its wings, that represents the migration story of Arman Abrahimzadeh, the 2016 Young Australian of the Year for South Australia and now Adelaide City Councillor.

I designed the football so it reflects Arman’s Iranian cultural heritage as well as his migration story similar to many migrants’ stories in Australia and around the world.

To highlight the notion of liberty, that is what all people yearn for, I used a verse of a poem from Iranian political poet Farrokhi Yazdi. It reads: That which gives life to the world: Liberty.
Inspired by a traditional Iranian style of calligraphy, I designed the word Liberty in a way that it resembles the shape of a bird. In combining visual elements from Iranian art and culture (Eslimi or Arabesque motifs, Iranian Nastaligh Calligraphy, and Toranj), I tried to employ a bold design style, so the final work reflects an active and contemporary tone.

Considering the universality of the bird symbol, my intention was to introduce another way of communicating this project’s message-Liberty.