Beyond The First Glance : Optical illusion Portraits

Beyond the First Glance is an interactive art monograph by Iraqi Polymath ,Muntadher Saleh. Using nothing more than fields of evenly spaced black dots-or, in select pieces, flowing strands of Arabic calligraphy-Saleh reconstructs iconic faces from world culture. Up close, the pages look like austere grids of geometry; from a few steps away, the same grids resolve into vivid portraits of figures such as Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, Albert Einstein, and Nelson Mandela.

Short essays frame each section, explaining the optical physics behind halftone illusion and inviting readers to explore how distance, context, and cultural memory shape perception. Concise biographical captions anchor every portrait, while process notes reveal how Saleh melds digital precision with traditional draftsmanship.

Part gallery, part meditation on seeing, Beyond the First Glance asks readers to move, refocus, and question the space between order and illusion-transforming a simple dot matrix into a revelation of human identity. Ideal for designers, art lovers, and anyone fascinated by the science of sight, the book turns looking itself into an act of discovery.