ambigram: ohayo

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GOOOOOOOOOOD MOOOOOORRRNIIIIING!!!! to all!

Oops, 'ohayo' is Japanese for 'good morning', by the way..

ambigram: islamist

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How did one word with such noble meanings (here) turn into one synonymous with hatred and disregard for life and mankind?

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There was once a time when the world was less cynical and suspicious, when differences were welcomed like unexpected guests during meal-times, and invited to sit and join in the modest feast. When shows such as this weren't quickly dismissed as being 'racial stereotyping' or 'racist'. Miss those times..

reflection: revolves

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This design - we foresee - has got the potential to be made into a sculpture piece a la Tom Banwell, or some cool light installation a la Patrice Hamel. In its sculture form, the 'l' would be the natural pivot/axis which will 'revolve' the whole sculpture round and round and round.. and round..

reflection: revives

ambigram: rotator

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When this artform was first discovered and later introduced by the pioneers - among them Douglas Hofstadter and John Langdon - the coined term 'ambigram' was vastly accepted to describe it. Then came other terms such as Scott Kim's Inversions and Gianni A. Sarcone's Amphigrams. Not to be outdone (with a pinch of salt *wink,wink*), nagfa introduce another totally unnecessary, potentially-underused term: ROTATOR. *Also a palindrome!

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Okay, there goes our 15 seconds of fame (refer to Andy Warhol).. now off the soapbox, back to the gutters and the alleyways..

concept piece: nagfa logo

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(Yet) another nagfa logo, again with the N (Naguib/nag) & F (Fadilah/fa). this time interlaced. The blue and pink represents nag's and fa's favourite colours respectively.

concept piece: F R E A K

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A logo designed about ten years back, rediscovered and updated. The logo is a representation of duality - or hybridity - thus a 'freak of nature'. It could be interpreted as the marriage of Saturn and the Moon; or the unholy union of an angel's halo and the devil's horns.

concept piece: NF logo

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Trying our hands at designing another nagfa logo. The N (Naguib/Nag) and F (Fadilah/Fa) are rotatable at 90-degrees.

ambigram: the.waiting (gothic)

ambigram: the.waiting (modern)
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The Waiting: US ALL? A further sentiment from a previous design: the John Mayer ambigram.
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We are dreaming of tomorrow and tomorrow isn't coming,
We are dreaming of a glory that we don't really want.

We are dreaming of a new day when the new day's here already.

We are running from the battle when it's one that must be fought.
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And still we sleep.
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We are listening for the calling but never really heeding,

Hoping for the future when the future's only plans.

Dreaming of the wisdom that we are dodging daily,

Praying for a savior when salvation's in our hands.
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And still we sleep.
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And still we dream.

And still we pray.

And still we fear.
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And still we sleep.
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- Todd Anderson of the Dead Poets Society

ambigram: the.grateful.dead (white)
ambigram: the.grateful.dead (black)
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The success of this design has got to be the convenient placements/locations of both the 'G' and 'D', enabling a natural separation for the three words.

ambigram: fizzy

ambigram: john.mayer

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In these difficult times of unnecessary violence and blind capitalism, once in a while comes a song to remind us where we actually stand. Aren't we all not brothers and sisters - family - playing in the same sandbox..?

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If you have the time, do listen to the lyrics of these two songs. Sobering.

John Mayer's Waiting On The World To Change: here

Black Eyed Peas' Where Is The Love: here

reflection: boycott

ambigram: villarreal

ambigram: nuratikah.ngadnan

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For Nag's sister.

ambigram: cow-moo

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A take on a common animal and the sound it produces.

ambigram: dollop

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Naturally occurring rotational ambigram. The meaning of 'dollop': here.

ambigram: gold

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A similar-themed ambigram: here

ambigram: piramid

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Malay for 'pyramid': the structure and the 3D shape.

Toilet Signs: An Invitational

Welcome and salam to all!
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nagfa is currently 'instigating' a new 'invitational'. It has come to our attention that toilet signs these days are becoming more and more creative and witty (if one can describe a diagram as such!). Thus, we feel that it will be fun - and not to mention the fully-relevant 'toilet humour' - to invite all designers to share funny, creative and 'witty' toilet signs. The toilet signs should only be depictions of the 'Man/Woman' signs, not of words found in the restrooms. An example of a traditional Man/Woman toilet sign would be:

Another example:

What we hope to compile is a collection of creative logos such as this (tetris-inspired):

This will be an ongoing 'invitational' and we will be hoping to compile this collection in a user friendly form - another blog or a long post entry - which we have yet to discuss and finalize.

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Do send all your pictures to:

nagfa_ambigram@hotmail.com

Do include your name and links to the rightful owners/designers/places of the logos. Authentic, personal designs are very much encouraged as well. Please, too, be mindful of the 'family-entertainment value' of the logos: no vulgar images please. :)

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Let's see how this project goes.. Do spread the word around. For humour is the soul of 'human amour'..

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salam,

nagfa: naguib and fadilah

singapore

ambigram: matahari.

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Malay for 'sun'. Interestingly, the word 'matahari' is made up of two words: 'mata' which means 'eye' and 'hari' which means 'day'. Thus, a 'matahari' is the 'eye of day'.
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Other languages too have this very fascinating way to describe an object: an example would be the English 'belly button' to describe the navel. Do you know of other words in other languages describing objects this way? Do share.

ambigram: rhythm

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Trying out a new font style.

reflection: anelka

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Nicolas Anelka, French national soccer player. Famous for mood swings (his nickname: the Incredible Sulk!) his 'wandering' ways, he had played in leagues in France, Spain, Turkey and currently, England. Interestingly, his name 'Anelka' is an anagram for the Malay word 'kelana' which means 'wanderer'!

ambigram: neatorama

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neatorama: One of the funkiest, neatest site on the web!

ambigram: izhar

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Commissioned piece.

Sample: Commissioned Ambigrams

ambigram: anisah(heart-shape)-ruslan
ambigram: siti.nasuha
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Examples of our designs, commissioned by a couple for themselves and their baby. The design can also be seen: here

reflection: answers

ambigram: white

ambigram: elite
ambigram: elite

nagfa's ambigram challenge (NAC) June 2007

Salam.

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After the unprecedented success of the May NAC '07 - with record number of solution styles, new participants and entries - we move on to another exciting instalment of June NAC. This month's NAC sees a Guest Challenger, voted as the designer with the best ambigram solution for the April NAC.

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Being only the third Guest Challenger (after Jose Fraga and John Langdon), we are anticipating for a really challenging NAC.

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This month's Guest Challenger is Alberto Portacio Apicella from Colombia, one of the most prominent and respected ambigramistas from that part of the world. Describing himself in his own words:

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I am Alberto Portacio Apicella, a Colombian who was born 47 years ago in the same land of Shakira, in Barranquilla, a city bathed by the Atlantic Ocean and of hot climate that does that its people are happy and extrovert up to the point of being thinking always about its holidays considered as the best of the Country and the declared by UNESCO, Oral and Intangible Patrimony of the Humanity: " The Carnivals ", because of it ... " in Barranquilla it is danced this way ".
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I am an Architect specialist in Design and for 20 years I have devoted myself to the university teaching, motivating always my pupils to being creative, being this the reason for which I "stumbled" accidentally over the ambigramas does slightly more than four years and since then I imposed myself the challenge of doing, minimal one diary. Up to the date (May 24) I have fulfilled 2547 ambigrams that I have codified chronological and alphabetically, so it wants to say, that "this" besides a hobby, turned me into a discipline.
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I have a beautiful family shaped by my wife Nora Yamile who also is Pre-school Educator and three children: Mauricio, Vanessa and Ángelo. My children are those who first see the ambigrams and do not hesitate to do the corresponding observations when they do not share any of my offers and when they are not doing the critiques to the ambigrams, they study and practise sports: Vanessa, swims and Mauricio and Ángelo play baseball.

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This month's theme: Famous Pairs (Couples)
The challenge consists of designing ambigrams of Famous Pairs (Couples) in history; in the arts, music, entertainment, comic, mythology, sports, etc.
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Please submit designs to:

nagfa_ambigram@hotmail.com

hopefully before 24nd of June (for allowance for us to compile them before July). Please also include the chosen word for the design, your name (pseudonym allowed), country of origin, and website/blog (if any). *Designers are allowed to send in more than one design/entry.

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Salam,

Nagfa: Naguib & Fadilah

Singapore

ambigram: anisah.(heart-shape)-Ruslan

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Commissioned piece.

ambigram: selamat.datang

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'Welcome' in Malay. Literally, 'save' (selamat) 'arrival' (datang). Dedicated to all who had stumbled upon this humble blog from the numerous links across the internet realm. Design-wise, this ambigram is made possible due to the position of the capital 'D' which rotates very nicely into the 'a'.

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The opposite of this ambigram is 'Selamat Pulang' (Save Departure): here.

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Note: a 'selamat.datang-selamat.pulang' ambigram would be very possible.

ambigram: michael. beckett

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One of the participants from USA for NAC May.