Tracy Chahwan's bold and vibrant posters have become a common fixture of Beirut's walls, and her colorful illustrations are known and loved by people across the Arab world and beyond. For this episode of the afikra podcast, she joined us in our Beirut-studio to reminisce on the early days of her career, and discuss key influences and what it means to remain authentic as an artist. Referencing her work for Beirut Groove Collective, Samandal, the Nib and ultimately publishing her own comic novel "Beirut Bloody Beirut", Tracy maps how her style has evolved over time. She talks about the difference between commissioned and personal work, what it takes to brand and market yourself as an artist, and how her relationship with Beirut has shifted and changed over the years.
Tracy Chahwan's bold and vibrant posters have become a common fixture of Beirut's walls, and her colorful illustrations are known and loved by people across the Arab world and beyond. For this episode of the afikra podcast, she joined us in our Beirut-studio to reminisce on the early days of her career, and discuss key influences and what it means to remain authentic as an artist. Referencing her work for Beirut Groove Collective, Samandal, the Nib and ultimately publishing her own comic novel "Beirut Bloody Beirut", Tracy maps how her style has evolved over time. She talks about the difference between commissioned and personal work, what it takes to brand and market yourself as an artist, and how her relationship with Beirut has shifted and changed over the years.
0:00 Introduction & Relationship to Beirut
1:29 Does Beirut Need to Get Its S*** Together?
5:12 Starting Out & Key Inspirations
9:12 Self-Censorship & Comic Journalism
14:54 Guantanamo & Current Projects
18:36 How the Comics Landscape Has Changed
24:56 Personal vs Commissioned Work
33:10 Emerging Talent & Illustrators From the Arab World
36:40 Beirut Bloody Beirut & How the City Has Changed
42:04 Resource Recommendations
44:38 The World of Comics
Tracy Chahwan is a cartoonist and illustrator from Lebanon. She started her career in Beirut, producing street art and posters for local independent music venues like the Beirut Groove Collective, and working with the Samandal and Zeez comics collective publishing experimental comics and anthologies. In 2018, she published her first graphic novel "Beirut Bloody Beirut", a story of two girls lost in the Beiruti night. After the Lebanese revolution in October 2019, she turned to journalistic comics, contributing to books such as "Guantanamo Voices" and "Where to Marie? Stories of Feminisms in Lebanon".
Connect with Tracy 👉 https://www.instagram.com/tracychahwan/
Hosted by:
Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb
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