The semblance series is influenced by a resemblance of the Arabic language's shapes and forms (and equally, the love of painting exploration and mark-making). The movement and energy of writing the Arabic language, as well as the sounds captured in the numerous short and long brushstrokes, are both sources of inspiration for these works. Negm considers this painterly visual vocabulary to be far from formal written Arabic calligraphy; rather, it is one of 'letterism' and metaphor to reflect a feeling of expression, an abstract aesthetic as much influenced by gestural - action painting techniques, art history, color theory, and the mix or dialogue of different elements interpreted to establish harmony, in a balanced and improvised composition.