Author: Emmy Plaschy
-
Wissam Shawkat: Turning Arabic Calligraphy Around
Unafraid of bringing out the contemporary that lies in the traditional, his life mission is to rewrite calligraphy, one stroke at a time. Meet the Iraq-born and Dubai-based artist who excels at his art, at the crossroads between script and shapes. According to its Greek etymology, calligraphy is the art of beautiful writing, which is… Read more
-
Noura Bin Saidan: the first mural artist in Riyadh
Optimism, energy, determination. Noura Bin Saidan embodies them all, as she brings colour to public spaces all over the world. On a warm September afternoon, we sat down in the artist’s Riyadh studio and after kindly offering Saudi coffee, dates, and chocolate biscuits, she shared her unconventional story. The choice of street art “I started… Read more
-
Remembering David L. Carpenter
It is usually when you delete someone from your phone that you realise that they are really gone. As usual, there is an exception to this rule. I still have not found the courage to delete David from my contacts, although I should have done so almost a year ago, on 18 June 2021. This… Read more
-
Sherine Abu Aqleh: tribute to a legend
A name has been on everyone’s lips for the past few days, whether a media professional, a person from, living or interested in the Arab world. That name is Sherine Abu Aqleh.Her killing while reporting from the field, as well as the violent outburst at her funeral considerably moved people on a global scale. Her… Read more
-
On being radical
It took me years to be radical. To become radical.Radical is not a popular word. It is often used in the context of extremism, whether political or religious. But having radical opinions is not always a bad thing.It means setting boundaries. Saying no. Without justifying oneself. Standing strong for what one believes in. This is… Read more
-
Más allá de las cúpulas
Durante mi reciente viaje a Puerto Vallarta, México, me hipnotizó la arquitectura peculiar que me rodeaba. Muchas casas tenían en su azotea impresionantes cúpulas, que me transportaron y me recordaron la Cúpula de la Roca en Jerusalén o la iglesia/mezquita de Hagia Sophia en Estambul. A lo largo de los siglos, las cúpulas se han… Read more
-
Refugees from a land never seen: the case of Gaza (Jerash) Camp in Jordan
There is a hill to climb to reach it. Remember that, because along the road, not a single sign hints at the presence of a camp, or rather of a city, a term closer to reality. The Gaza refugee camp exists without really existing. Its residents live there without really belonging there. I wanted to… Read more
-
What are Eid celebrations?
With 2 billion Muslims in the world, you probably are friends with at least one! Ever wondered why they celebrate Eid twice a year, what it means and what you should be wishing them? Here is what you should know. Eyes on the moon Muslims celebrate two different Eid festivals throughout the year: Eid al-Fitr and Eid… Read more
-
Being a woman today: perspectives from East and West
The idea behind this article comes from my interest in two topics: the status of women, and the region of southwest Asia (aka SWA, an expression I prefer to “Middle East”, as the latter comes from a colonialist point of view). In a context of media attention and progressive awareness of the pressures and violence… Read more
-
Être une femme aujourd’hui: regards croisés
La genèse de cet article découle de mon intérêt tout particulier pour deux thématiques : la condition féminine et la région du sud-ouest asiatique (ou SOA, expression que je préfère à « Moyen-Orient » cette dernière partant d’un point de vue colonialiste). Dans un climat de prise de parole médiatique et de conscience progressive des… Read more