ABOUT
Islam Aly
Book artist and educator, working between historical forms and contemporary experience.
I am drawn to the book as an object that carries meaning through its structure, materials, and the way it moves in the hand.
My practice brings historical binding traditions together with contemporary tools. Arabic typography, cultural memory, migration, and protective objects recur across the work. Laser cutting, letterpress, cyanotype, and handmade paper help me give these ideas a physical form.
I am a Lecturer of Bookbinding in the Design Workshops at the German University in Cairo. I hold an MFA in Book Arts and a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning / Art Education from the University of Iowa, and degrees in Art Education from Helwan University.
Learning through making
Teaching and research are part of my studio practice. Studying how a book is built opens new ways to think about sequence, space, and the relationship between form and meaning.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Books in public collections
My work is held by collections including the British Library, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Thomas J. Watson Library, the University of Iowa Libraries, Letterform Archive, and the Walker Art Center.