To present Toronto as a global destination for Islamic art and material culture (IAMCC), the visual identity for the IAMCC leveraged the city’s reputation as a diverse world leader. As the formalization of shared institutional capacity between academia and cultural institutions (University of Toronto, the ROM, and the Aga Khan Museum), the IAMCC required a design concept that would help elevate new ways of thinking with eye-catching visuals. Inspired by the iconic Islamic motif of the Khatam (8-pointed star), the final design represents the highest virtues in Islamic culture: learning, community, faith, and love of beauty. The logo draws upon and combines two unique strategic elements: the subject (Islamic art and material culture) and the place (Toronto) featuring the outline of Toronto’s own CN Tower within its core.
