Living in an Islamic country has made me think about design differently. Traditionally Islam forbids depicting graven images to prevent the worshiping of false idols. Mauritania takes this to the extreme — the landscape, buildings, and even sky are so void of visual interest, going back to the states over the summer was like waking up. I feel like Africa has taught me how to see again. Each label, painting, or piece of art I come across in my travels I have been coveting, and I made this section of my site partly to share what I’ve found.