she/her
Maidah Salman
From architecture to photography, my journey with design has consistently been guided by the theme of duality—a recurring exploration of oppositions and intersections in both concept and form. This thesis investigates how duality can be expressed and amplified through projection as a tool for narrative and sensory exploration. By combining methods from photography, bilingual typography, and cross-cultural design, the project examines how elements such as light and shadow, static and dynamic forces, and native and foreign spaces can create new dialogues. This thesis focuses on duality as a foundation for understanding and developing immersive design experiences, using projection as both a literal and metaphorical tool.
Duality, defined by The Oxford English Dictionary as “an instance of opposition or contrast between two concepts,” is central to this research. Historical and contemporary examples, including yin-yang philosophy, the Doppler effect, and dual-exposure photography, highlight how dualities have long been a source of inspiration in art and science. Artists such as Krzysztof Wodiczko, Tseng Kwong Chi, and Claude Cahun further influence this inquiry through their use of projection, identity, and layered storytelling. At its core, projection serves as both a physical phenomenon and a metaphorical act—one that represents growth, perspective, and the act of sharing ideas.
Projection, in this context, is more than light cast onto a surface; it is a means of storytelling, growth, and expressing the tension or harmony between opposing forces. My creative journey has been shaped by experimentation across media and materials and these experiments have revealed recurring themes in my work, especially the exploration of the intersection of two spaces.
Ultimately, this thesis contributes to the discourse on design methodologies by offering new approaches to visualizing and experiencing duality. It invites viewers to engage with complex, multi-sensory environments that deepen their understanding of dualistic relationships in both physical and conceptual spaces.
Letters to myself, 2025.
Risograph and film prints with lamp and chair, dimensions variable.
Truck Art Typeface, 2024.
Risograph prints, each 6 × 6 in.
50 Questions, 2024.
Laser etching on acrylic, dimensions variable.
Research & publication, 2024.
Wood and Japanese washi paper, dimensions variable.
50 Iterations, 2023.
Posters, each 6 × 4 in.