Khali Balak: Dubai's Risograph Scene Gets Its Own Group Show

There's a reason risograph printing refuses to die in the age of instant everything. It’s messy, imperfect, and impossible to fully control - and that's where its appeal lies.

Tashkeel is leaning into that chaos with Khali Balak Men RISO, a group exhibition opening July 19th at its Nad Al Sheba Gallery, running through August 21st. Curated by Ibrahim Zaki, the show pulls together artists and designers who've spent time at the riso machine through workshops, solo practice or just messing around with friends, turning that shared experience into an archive of posters, prints, cards and whatever else came out of the process.

Riso, or risographs, is an art form somewhere between screen printing and photocopying, known for slightly-off registration, saturated colour, and a visible grain that no amount of Photoshop can fake. The machine has opinions. The paper has opinions. Half the charm is in what goes "wrong." Instead of hiding the process, Khali Balak Men RISO puts it front and centre, with layering, texture and happy accidents all staying in the frame.

The lineup brings together Ahmed Mansour, Aysha Saif Al Hemrani Al Shamsi, Bassem Boules, Dina Saadi, Ibrahim Zaki, Mariam Abbas, Mohannad Orabi, Nasir Nasrallah, Sara Baali, and Weam S. Ali — a mix of artists that all found their way to the same machine.

Khali Balak Men RISO is only display at Tashkeel, Nad Al Sheba 1, Dubai. The gallery is open daily from 8 AM to 11 PM.