Lighting up AUS

For Bachelor of Science in Multimedia Design graduate Lama Kadri, one of the major highlights of her time at AUS was the opportunity to showcase her work as part of the Sharjah Light Festival in February 2020—just a few days before the university switched to distance learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Selected to join a team of 12 students from the College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) at AUS to work with featured multimedia artist Mathieu Felix to create their own projections, Kadri’s work resulted in the breathtaking light show entitled “A Journey from Sharjah to America.” Lighting up the façade of the university’s Main Building, the show took audiences on a roundtrip flight from Sharjah to America, traveling far but confirming the students’ deep relationship with the UAE.

“To have your name associated with a grand project such as Sharjah Light Festival opens a lot of opportunities for a young designer. Initially, the idea of adding more work to the already existing workload was daunting, but, when you see your design displayed on the AUS Main Building it makes things worth the trouble,” said Kadri.

“After the project was complete, we were asked as participating students to be interviewed on radio for this achievement. Although this was a voluntary project, it definitely was one of the most rewarding,” she added 

But it’s Kadri’s senior year capstone project that is her greatest accomplishment to date. 

“Piece of Mind is a four-minute animation that explores the idea of existing in a world that has no purpose for you and begs the question of one’s true purpose in life. It has to be the one project I worked the hardest on during all my years as a university student. It is a piece that sits proudly at the top of my portfolio, and I will definitely submit it to film festivals,” she said.

Kadri hopes to continue her design education with a graduate degree while pursuing a career as an animator and illustrator and building on the work experience she gained through a professional internship during her time at AUS.