MONTAHA HIDEFI, author of "Giving Voice to my Silence - My Struggle for Respect from Venezuela to Syria", "Dando voz a mi silencio - Mi lucha por el respeto entre Venezuela y Siria" and "Groping for Truth - My Uphill Struggle for Respect", was born and raised in Venezuela to Syrian immigrants. As a teenager, her family returned to Syria, and as an adult she lived in the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, and Canada.
From an early age, Montaha found comfort in exploring the vivid colours of her tropical surroundings. She began writing during her teen years in Syria as she confided in a diary, while battling with an overwhelming culture shock and waging an ongoing debate to understand the upheaval in her life.
Through sheer grit and determination, she overcame huge obstacles to become a well-educated, highly respected businesswoman in her field. As an internationally recognized Colour Archaeologist, strategic colour trend advisor and colour marketer, she co-authored the first and second editions of "Colour Design Theories and Applications", in 2012 and 2017, edited by Janet West.
She has authored numerous articles related to her industry and profession for various trade magazines and websites. She is also an experienced trend panelist and contributed to the creative development of several trend books including NCS Colour Trends in Sweden, MoOD Inspirations in Belgium, and Mix Magazine in the United Kingdom.
Montaha has several advance degrees, including an MBA, a masters in international business and a masters in translation. In 1991, her Arabic translation of the French children’s book, "Badang l’Invincible, Les Contes du Griot", written in 1977 by Claude Duboux-Buquet, was published.
She lectured and presented at international trade shows, conferences, universities and colour seminars including Ryerson University (Toronto), George Brown College (Toronto), Princeton Adult School (New Jersey), Heriot-Watt University (Dubai) 100% Design London (UK), Warsaw Culture Center (Polant), Taiwan Design Center (Taiwan), CoaTech (Mexico), the Color Marketing Group (USA, Mexico & Peru), the European Coatings Show (Germany), Expoquimia and Masterbatch (Spain), PlasTactic 4.0 (Sweden), and ChinaCoat (China).
Since January 2020, Montaha is Vice President for Color Forecasting of the Color Marketing Group, an international association for colour design professionals. Since February 2021, she became Vice President of the Canadian Freelance Guild. She has contributed articles related to colour and trends to many trade publications, including the British Polymers Paint Colour Journal (PPCJ), and to the American magazines such as Paint & Coatings Industry (PCI), Powder Coating, Powder Coated Tough, Product Finishing, and Retail Environment.
Montaha currently resides in Guelph, Ontario, in Canada, with her husband, Michael Richter, a composer, pianist and sound engineer.
LINKS
Montaha's Website
Montaha's LinkedIn
Montaha's Facebook
Montaha's Instagram
Montaha's Twitter
Montaha's Email
BOOKS
Giving Voice to My Silence - My Struggle for Respect between Venezuela and Syria (OC Publishing 2021)
Dando voz a mi silencio - Mi lucha por el respeto entre Venezuela y Siria (OC Publishing 2021)
Groping for Truth – My Uphill Struggle for Respect (OC Publishing, 2018)
Colour Design: Theories and Applications. Janet Best, editor. (Woodhead Publishing, 2012, 2017.
The Role of Color in Design
