The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has announced “Enter the Mulberry Tree and Fly Free”, the first exhibition of comic art from Palestine of its kind to take place outside of the Middle East and North Africa region, which will be part of this year’s weekend-long event in Bowness-on-Windermere next month (26th – 30th September 2024).
The curator, George Khoury, who is based in Lebanon and recognised as the region’s leading expert on Arab comics, and one of the key featured artists, multi award-winning Mohammad Sabaaneh, who is based in Palestine, will be joining the Festival’s diverse line up of comic creators over the weekend.
As part of LICAF’s ongoing exploration of the fascinating world of Arab comics “Enter the Mulberry Tree and Fly Free: Palestinian Comics Revealed” will present the work of twelve Palestinian comic artists in a unique installation designed by architects Rabih Koussa and Nabil Farhat, made from cardboard. Fragile yet resilient, paper symbolises the endurance of a people amidst the tempests of history. The installation reflects the traditional architectures of the region and will house the art of twelve Palestinian comic artists. Each fold and crease in this paper house reflects the complexities of identity, memory, and the unyielding spirit of the works.
Through this ephemeral yet enduring medium, “Enter the Mulberry Tree and Fly Free” invites visitors to witness bold strokes of defiance and gentle whispers of hope.
The installation will also feature five short videos by some of the featured artists, offering a unique insight in their owns words into themes such as personal identity to geopolitics offering remarkable perspectives on Palestine.
The exhibition is supported by the British Council and will also be on display as part of the Thought Bubble Festival in November 2024 at Left Bank in Leeds in November.
“Enter the Mulberry Tree and Fly Free” features the work of, in alphabetical order by given name, Abdelrazaq Leila, Al-Nakhala Amal, Al-Shamali Shahd, Amer Shomali, Ata Iasmin Omar (also known as Delta), Dabaie Marguerite, Harb Samir, Hifaoui Nour, Jabareen Michael, Jarada Khaled, Sabaaneh Mohammad, and Yamani Fuad.
Most of the artists now live in the Palestinian diaspora, including America, Germany and France and some were born in these countries or in refugee camps – but all their work is bound by their strong emotional connections to Palestine.
In addition, the Festival will be hosting a discussion between the curator George Khoury and one of the featured artists, Mohammad Sabaaneh, about the work and themes of the “Enter the Mulberry Tree and Fly Free” exhibition, examining the different perspectives shared by a new generation of comic artists.
“Palestine has been a constant subject in children’s comics magazines since their inception in the middle of the last century,” notes artist, writer and educator George Khoury, who has kindly provided a special introduction to the exhibition, to accompany the art.
“Today, Palestine is telling its own intimate story through the narratives of its people spread across the planet. As the rightful owners of the cause, they deserve to have their voices heard, to embrace it, and to protect it from everyone’s bidding.
“They, and only they, bear the answer—a dream of a ‘happy ending’ that has been yearned for over 75 years. Their cause is rooted in rights and justice, transcending the confines of political dogma, ideology, historical narratives, and geographical boundaries. They challenge us all to reconsider our relationship with the land, culture, individual freedom, and cultural gender identity.”
“The clamour of the past decades has tended to obscure the everyday lives and unique creativity of Palestinian comic artists,” notes Festival Director Julie Tait, “and ‘Enter the Mulberry Tree and Fly Free’ seeks to reveal these unheard voices and experiences through an extraordinary installation featuring images and video material.
Rachel Stevens, Director of Literature at the British Council said of the Festival creator event:
“As a cultural relations organisation, our role is to provide a space for artists to openly share their work, promoting positive dialogue and creativity as a result. This partnership with LICAF aims to highlight the unique world of comic art. We are delighted to support a new generation of Palestinian artists showcasing their work to an international audience.”
• The Enter the Mulberry Tree and Fly Free exhibition is free of charge and will be open at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in Bowness-on-Windermere daily between 10.00am and 4.00pm from Thursday 26th – Monday 30th September 2024
• The Lakes International Comic Art Festival returns to Bowness-on-Windermere Friday 27th – Sunday 29th September 2024 | Ticket details here
• The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is online at: comicartfestival.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Sign up for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Newsletter
• As well as appearing at LICAF this installation will reappear as an exhibition during the Thought Bubble Festival in November 2024 at Left Bank in Leeds from 6th – 28th November 2024
With the albums Carnaval and Freud in the early 1980s, George Khoury (aka Jadas his ‘nom de plume’) establishes himself as the first author and artist for graphic novels aimed at adult readers in Lebanon and the Arab World. In 1989, he founded the first collective of comics artists in Lebanon and a few years later, he established the Animation Department at Future Television in Beirut. In parallel to this, he started to teach at the Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts and the Lebanese American University. His comic, Shahrazad, is part of the collection of The Comics Art Museum in Angoulême, France (Musée de la Bande Dessinée d’Angoulême).
Jad has earned several awards including the LUCCA Festival honorary award and the Mahmoud Kahil Award for lifetime achievement. Jad is the co-founder of the Lebanese Syndicate of Professional Graphic Designers, Illustrators and Animators. Until this day, Jad passionately writes about comics and animation and produces art responding to the events of our times. He continues to update an in-depth research on the history of comics in the Arab World.
Mohammad Sabaaneh is a cartoonist and caricaturist, and active member of the International Cartoon Movement. He has won many awards worldwide and his work has been exhibited in many countries. In 2017, he was invited as a Palestinian influential intellectual young figure to represent the Palestinians at the United Nations in New York. Of his 2021 comic Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine, Sarah Glidden, author of Rolling Blackouts, said: “Truly an astonishing work. The images move and come to life through the darkness. They demand that we look at them and that we do not turn away.”
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. They support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. They do this through their work in arts and culture, education and the English language. The Council works with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2022-23, they reached 600 million people.
• The Enter the Mulberry Tree and Fly Free exhibition is free of charge and will be open at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in Bowness-on-Windermere daily between 10.00am and 4.00pm from Thursday 26th – Monday 30th September 2024
• The Lakes International Comic Art Festival returns to Bowness-on-Windermere Friday 27th – Sunday 29th September 2024 | Ticket details here
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Comic Art, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, Exhibitions
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