Basant Mela

27th March - Philly - Register to Access

A young man with dark hair and medium skin tone lying on a wooden chair with cream-colored cushion, holding a newspaper above his head. He is wearing a black shirt with white text.

Street Adab weaves tales into textile. We stitch stories to the hem and bind histories at the cuff. Our pieces bend geographies that appear fixed on a map.

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Person wearing black dress pants and shiny black leather shoes, standing on a patterned rug. The pants have white Arabic script on the side.

Our first prototype, titled Ad & Adab, is inspired by Urdu text used in early to mid 20th century advertisements. It brings these historical ads to life, creatively reimagining them to offer a glimpse into the fonts and history of South Asia.

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Woman sitting on a white couch with her legs spread wide, wearing black pants and high heels, in a room with sheer curtains and patterned pillows.

Our second collection of Ad & Adab is inspired by a vintage Philips advertisement. Philips introduced bulbs and radios to Pakistan in 1948, using simple text and minimalistic artwork to connect with a community that valued both art and culture. Philips understood that its audience cherished both creativity and progress, using art and the theme of "Mausiqi aur Roshni" (Music and Light) to resonate with the Pakistani people, seamlessly merging innovation with cultural identity.

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