logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2023
54m 56s

LENA MERHEJ | Coping with Arab Comics | ...

AFIKRA
About this episode
tail spinning
Up next
Jul 6
How Technology Is Changing the Arabic Language Forever | Prof. Nizar Habash
Language serves as the vital intersection of cultural identity and technological innovation, yet the rapid rise of AI reveals a significant representation gap for the nearly many million ways the Arab world communicates. Professor Nizar Habash, a computer science professor and di ... Show More
1h 15m
Jun 29
History of the British Raj in the Arabian Gulf | Prof. James Onley
Imperialism was a masterclass in maintaining the fiction of autonomy while quietly acquiring the assets of an empire. Professor James Onley, chair of Gulf and Arab Studies at the American University of Sharjah, dissects the sophisticated loopholes used by colonial powers to exert ... Show More
1 h
Jun 22
How Egypt Used Theater to Fight British Occupation | Prof. Carmen Gitre
Theatrical stages often mirror the intricate evolution of the societies that build them. Professor Carmen Gitre explores the burgeoning performance culture of Cairo between 1867 and 1930. This era witnessed a shift from street storytelling and shadow plays to formal theater house ... Show More
1h 6m
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2019
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Lina Ghaibeh
Khatt interviews Lina Ghaibeh, illustrator, animator, and comics artist about her practice and the potential of graphic narratives in giving voice to unheard and unexpected narratives from the Arab world. Ghaibeh believes in the power of visual storytelling and of expressing thro ... Show More
35m 55s
Nov 2025
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Aude Abou Nasr
Yasmine Nachabe Taan interviews Beirut-based, French-Lebanese illustrator Aude Abou Nasr. They discuss Aude's educational and professional journey from starting in architecture into illustration and activism. Aude discusses her interest in narratives that address issues of belong ... Show More
34m 37s
Jun 2023
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Maya Saikali
Yara Khoury Nammour interviews Lebanese graphic designer and educator Maya Saikali about how she marries her interest in socially engaged practice and commercial design work. Maya explains since she was a design student, first in Beirut (Lebanon) and then in Eindhoven (The Nether ... Show More
28m 32s
Jun 2022
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Jana Traboulsi
Khatt interviews Jana Traboulsi about the relation between drawing, illustration and expressive graphic design. The talk explores ideas on engagement with political and cultural issues, and on combining personal explorations with critical thinking. Jana elaborates on her publicat ... Show More
33m 57s
Apr 2023
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Naji El Mir
Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès interviews Lebanese-French Graphic Designer Naji El Mir about his beginnings in graphic design and animation. The discussion addresses the journey from homeland to becoming a successful independent designer in diaspora. The talk explores ideas on self-t ... Show More
42m 5s
Feb 2024
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Lara Assouad
Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès interviews Dubai-based Lebanese graphic and type designer @laraassouad. Together they discuss her journey into type design and her other passions and side practices such as book-binding, leather accessories, and pottery.The conversation focuses on Lara' ... Show More
43m 19s
Nov 2021
FWD: “Gazbia Sirry- When Modern Arab Form Meets Politics” [Community Presentation]
In this afikra FWD, Laila Karaman talked about "Gazbia Sirry- When Modern Arab Form Meets Politics" by Fatenn Mostafa-Kanafani. Laila discusses the themes in Sirry's artwork which are polygamy, gender preference/roles, gender equality, occupation/civil rights, and new political e ... Show More
11m 25s
Jan 2024
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Rana Salam
Yasmine Nachabe Taan interviews Beirut-born Lebanese graphic designer @RanaSalam, "Queen of Arab Pop", founder of Rana Salam Studio in Beirut, Lebanon. Together they unpack her journey as a designer, what inspires her, what she is passionate about, and how she translates that int ... Show More
25m 17s
Oct 2024
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Sahar Khraibani
In this episode of Khatt Chronicles, Yasmine Nachabe Taan interviews Lebanese design writer and critic, Sahar Khraibani. They discuss her journey into the field of design writing through graphic design and illustration. Together, they unpack the importance of design and critical ... Show More
36m 49s
May 2023
Belonging, Divorce & Summer in Egypt | Malaka Gharib
In this episode of Book Club, Malika Gharib joins us to share her musings on what it means to be an artist, the symbiotic relationship between journalism and comics, as well as what the 'American Dream' truly means. She reflects on growing up as a first-generation Filipino Egypti ... Show More
1h 1m