Scrolling through the Instagram account @kap.posters, you’d think you’ve stumbled upon retro blueprints from Kuwait’s golden era of architecture. But what you’re actually seeing is the creative work of Ahmed Safer, an architect and visual artist who creates digital posters of Kuwait’s architectural landmarks.
Kuwait’s modern architectural identity began to take shape in the aftermath of 1946, the year crude oil exports first took off. With newfound wealth, Kuwait became a melting pot of global influences. Western art, literature, technology, and architecture poured in. Brutalism and Modernism, the global architectural trends of the time, found a strong foothold here, and Kuwait embraced it. A wide spectrum of structures were constructed, everything from massive rigid buildings, to colorful and playful villas all reflected this new wave of architecture that defined the 50s through the 80s.
But now, a lot of those buildings are being demolished, and that entire era is disappearing.
KAP Posters is a visual archive, a growing collection of digital illustrations that pay tribute to Kuwait’s architectural gems. These aren’t just digital sketches though. Because Ahmed is an architect, he approaches each building with discipline, precision, and care. He told me he tries to be as accurate and original as possible with his illustrations. He doesn’t draw building extensions or alterations for example. His illustration of the National Council for Culture, Arts & Literature (NCCAL) building for example (above) took 12 days to complete because he had to replicate the exact same number of tiles on the building.
His whole process actually starts with a lot of research, scanning old books, digging through the internet, or photographing buildings in person, often with a drone. He then corrects distortions and stitches the reference images together in Photoshop. Only after that does he start tracing, layering, coloring, and adding subtle details.
KAP Posters isn’t just an art account, it’s turning into a time capsule. If you’re interested in Kuwait’s old architecture then check it out. @kap.posters
