Sami Oussama Filali Naji
03/03/2021
Angie Assal is a born and bred New Yorker. Her artwork embodies her multifaceted identity as a Lebanese-Arab-Druze with American nationality. The concept of Sound of Mazzika is clear and enticing: hand painted, 3D printed, Arabic cultural jewellery.
Her product range, like her personality, is cool, quirky and oozes tradition. Her necklaces and earrings sport miniature models of iconic Arabic instruments, including the riqq (tambourine), darbouka (hand drum) and the oud (stringed instrument).
Over a year ago, Angie decided to use her spare time productively, learning Arabic music composition. Her first set of earrings were made for herself, replicating her favourite darbouka from Lebanon. She then decided to apply technical skills learned from her day job working in a 3D printing factory to her artistic vision. In order to scale up her business, her colleague helped her improve her 3D modelling skills so that she could more accurately output her artistic visions to 3D print.
The learning curve was steep, but the outcome was rewarding. Before she knew it, Angie was selling to clients around New York, many of whom noticed her earrings on her daily commute to work. Other clients order internationally, through her website, from Canada, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and France.
Angie’s work allows her to be an ambassador for the Lebanese culture in her New York community. Her latest work is her most proud production: a pair of Arabic “coffee cups” with an intricately engineered 3D modelling design. The cup features a semi transparent “coffee” layer that mimics the effect of a full coffee cup.
