What an honour to be published with some of my favourite illustrators and for such an important cause. It was also quite intimidating as there were several illustrators in the book that I have admired for such a long time! It took me a while to find an idea for my spread, because I wanted to make sure it was up to the same standard.
I illustrate Damascus/Syria in every book I do as a way for me to process the war and the fact that we were forced to leave because of safety concerns. I am often inspired by the magnificent architecture of its old city - the fountains, the small shaded alleyways, the arches, and my favourite – the Damascus tiles with their bright blue shades and beautiful patterns. Damascus was where I lived most of my life, and it remains my home and source of inspiration, despite the fact that I now live in lovely London.
I love Neil Gaiman’s work and I feel so privileged to join these wonderful illustrators on this heart-warming poem. I particularly love the part that says: “A smile, a touch, trust as you walk in from the snow”. It humanises refugees’ experiences, and to me, that is so very important. The media often portray their stories as merely numbers, whilst describing the ‘crisis’ with little thought for them as individual people with their own stories. Everyone deserves to be met with kindness, especially if you’re fleeing war.
I love working with watercolour with pencil sketches on top. I’ve tried working with other materials but I just couldn’t! I feel there’s such honesty with watercolour and I enjoy playing with layers of colours and textures. It was hard for me to finish my spread for this book knowing it has to be black and white, because I only think in colours! However, I found it great to be pushed out of my comfort zone and to be stretched in that way – I managed to discover a new style in my work and I am really happy with the results. That’s the beauty of projects like these, they push artists to think differently, which often leads to more creative visual outcomes.
I’m inspired by many Arab artists like Palestinian artist Dia Batal and her beautiful calligraphy metal work, and Syrian children’s illustrator Lujaina Alaseel. I also love the watercolour work of Piet Grobler, and absolutely all of Chris Haughton’s books!
