Kuwait hosts first International Caricature Forum
Cartoons without words speak universal language
As a reporter-writer, one may spend days researching and crafting stories hoping they will explain something about something. At times, the story may need 1,000 words or far more than that, along with a mix of sweat, toil, and angst to meet its goal, but a bunch of gifted people out there with an illustration and few words can convey more with so much less, with an immediacy that is magical. A single good cartoon can do the job with perhaps more bite, and the same sense of penetration and insight than a column of words.
On Sept 26, the cartoon artist community of Kuwait rallied together to host the opening of the International Caricature Forum at the Ahmed Aladwani Hall under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs. Internationally recognized by the Federation of Cartoonist Organizations (IFECO), the event which showcased the work of 232 artists from 53 countries was also supported by the National Council of Culture, Arts & Letters (NCCAL). Jamal Al Lahou, President of KICF notes “KICF is an unprecedented international event in the GCC area and has succeeded in attracting artists from all around the globe covering almost 50 countries. Such numbers and responses were a mere dream if it wasn’t for the support of the Minister of Information and State of Youth Affairs.” Tributes The event, which had an encouraging opening, celebrated the life and talent of eminent actor Abdulhussain Abdulredha and drew attention to issues such as water conservation and violence against children. The Forum also paid tributes to Abdulredha Kamal and Abdulsalam Maqboul, two pioneering caricaturists from Kuwait and the GCC.
The first International Caricature Forum in Kuwait turned out to be a unique event that celebrated those who add so much to our understanding of ourselves as a society with a few strokes of the pen. Kazanevsky Vladimir travelled from Ukraine to take part in the event. “I have participated in many exhibitions around the world including Brazil, France, Japan, Iran and I would like to say that this is one of the best shows I have attended. Firstly, the standard of work is of a high level. I recall sending ten cartoons to the committee, and they chose only one, and I think they chose the best one. Moreover, the exhibition space is very well laid out. The spread and setting of the exhibition space is very important for the cartoons to be displayed properly.”
Traditional
Vladimir is a professional cartoonist from Ukraine, a country with a rich tradition of cartoon art that began more than 300 years ago. “But those are traditional cartoons that came from England and France,” he explains. “What is new and interesting is cartoon without words. I am surprised to see the quality and standard of this new style of cartoon making in this forum especially from countries like Kuwait, where the art is fairly new. Interestingly, this form of cartoon is growing like a tsunami and it is moving swiftly from West to East.” Cartoon artists walk a thin line between journalism and art, and what gives them a decided edge is not only the ability to draw but also a good sense of humour. “You need to be an intellectual with a fairly good knowledge of different fields,” said the artist who also works as an illustrator. “You cannot give messages unless you observe and know.” What he said next was quite illuminating. He compared a cartoonist to a sportsperson who needs to hone his skills daily and failure to do so leads to a depletion of creative abilities. “A cartoonist has to draw every day. Inability to do so will result in a break in my training like it does to a sportsman.”
Khalled Al Jaberi from UAE agrees. The discipline and commitment the art demands is a reason, he says for the small numbers of cartoonists in his country. “I can count the number of Emirati cartoonists, on one hand, there are so few. One reason for this is that the artist needs to find a good idea and should draw daily. A bad idea or an average idea should be avoided. You need a good idea daily, and that can be difficult.” Khalled is a Mechanical Engineer by profession, but drawing cartoons is his passion. Like Vladimir, he believes a sense of humour is essential to a cartoonist along with the ability to express an idea in visuals. Khalled belongs to a new breed of cartoonists who are slowly moving away from traditional cartoons which used words, to a form that depends on the power of visuals. “The best cartoons are the ones that don’t use words. They speak a universal language that everyone understands.”
Young Turki Al Rashed, a sports cartoonist from Bahrain has been drawing since the age of five. Over the years, he honed his skills with the aid of Youtube and other online programs, and by observing other artists. The young Bahraini believes that cartoonists can be change makers. “Drawing is a powerful weapon. The cartoonist has to use his gift wisely as his art can affect an entire community.” For years,
Khalled Al-Jaberi – UAE
Turki followed well- known international cartoonists and their art on Instagram, and the forum in Kuwait gave him the opportunity to meet some of them. “I was honoured to meet them and see their work,” he said.
Cartoons have had a rich legacy in the Arab world and even now as the world
Turki Al-Rashed – Bahrain
grapples with issues facing the Middle East; cartoonists continue to work, draw attention, and try to remove the apathy. “In Kuwait, cartoons started to be used in a satirical magazine called Al Fuqa, which was first published in 1915, but the artists who worked in the magazine were from Syria and Iraq,” said Bader Bin Ghaith, one of Kuwait’s leading cartoonists and illustrators. Bader specializes in creating graphics on social, political health, community, education and environmental issues. He uses graphics as a means of communicating ideas and information, and he uses humour to engage the reader. Bader played a leading role in organizing what turned out to be a very successful event. “Five years back, there were 10 to 15 cartoonists in Kuwait, and today there are more than 30 Kuwaiti cartoonists who publish their work.” As Kuwait’s burgeoning art scene sees an increasing number of cartoonists explore the new frontiers of tooning, one can only hope that this momentum does not lose its pace.