With the project »Comic Connection«, young inhabitants of the AWO Refugium Lichtenberg are learning about the world of comics in weekly workshops since February 2016. Starting August 2016, summer comic workshops organised by people from Berlin and international artists will be taking place. The workshops are geared towards young refugees and young residents of Berlin aged 10 to 16. The topics and applied techniques discussed in the workshops are influenced by the work of each artist – Amer Al Akel, Mina Braun, Inga Israel, Tania Al Kayyali, Sebastian Lörscher and Mawil – and developed further with the young participants. The results of the workshops will be shown in an exhibition at the Weinmeisterhaus and at the ilb-Graphic Novel Day.
AMER AL AKEL (photo: Frank Flores) born in 1987 in Damascus, studied visual communication, and has exhibited his installations, illustrations and video projects in Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria and France since 2008. He has lived in Berlin for one and a half years, and will continue his studies at the Berlin Weissensee School of Art in autumn.
MINA BRAUN (photo: private)born in 1980 in Frankfurt, studied visual communication at Kassel University of Arts. From 2003 to 2015 she lived in Edinburgh, where she studied illustration until 2007. She works as an illustrator, makes silk-screen prints, and gives illustration workshops. Her work has been exhibited in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Sarmede. »Can I Have a Kitten?« (2016) is her first children’s picture book. Braun has lived in Berlin since 2015. http://www.minabraun.com/INGA ISRAEL (photo: Sarah Staiger) born in 1984 in Löbau, studied visual communication at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, and is an illustrator and graphic designer specializing in magazine and book design, information graphics and corporate design. She has illustrated seven chapbooks by Roman Israel. Her work appears regularly in the newspapers »FAZ«, »FAS« the »taz«, and has been exhibited in Berlin, Dresden and Leipzig. In 2014 she created a line of porcelain decorated with her own designs. Israel lives in Berlin.
TANIA AL KAYYALI (photo: Jo Askew) born in 1985. Since 2013, she has worked as a graphic designer, illustrator and translator in Serbia, Syria and the UAE for »Refugee and Migrant Crisis in Europe«. As a visual artist her focus is illustration, having recently drawn a number of children’s books in addition to exhibiting her work. She lives in Berlin and will continue her studies at Berlin University of the Arts in autumn. SEBASTIAN LÖRSCHER (photo: Jannis Schulze) born in 1985 in Paris, studied at the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt and Berlin Weissensee School of Art. He has written and illustrated comics, among them »Ziegenmilch & Zeichenstift« (2011) and »A bisserl weiter geht’s immer« (2015). »Making Friends in Bangalore« (2014) was elected one of the Most Beautiful Books of 2014 by the Stiftung Buchkunst. His work has been exhibited in Berlin, Clermont-Ferrand and Ludwigsburg, among other places. Lörscher lives in Berlin.
MAWIL born as Markus Witzel in 1976 in East Berlin, studied graphic design at the Berlin Weissensee School of Art, where he co-founded the comics group Monogatari. His illustrations are published by various magazines and newspapers. His comics, including »Wir können ja Freunde bleiben« (2003), »Kinderland« (2014) and »The Singles Collection« (2015), won the ICOM Independent Comic Prize in 1998, 2003, 2004 and 2007, and the Max-und-Moritz-Preis in 2014. Mawil lives in Berlin. www.mawil.netSALAM AL HASSAN (photo:private) born in 1975 in Damascus, is an art director, animation artist and photographer. Salam al Hassan is also an illustrator and comic artist, whose work includes »Shabyat Elcartoon« (2013). He is also a percussionist with the band Fattouch. In 2008 he made two short films, and was invited to present »Short Dream« in Beirut, Tunisia and, in 2013, at the Forum des Images in Paris. He recently moved to Berlin. http://salam-al-hassan.blogspot.de/
Impressions of the project (photos: Ali Ghandtschi)
COMIC CONNECTIONis a project of the section Internationale Kinder- und Jugendliteratur that is part of the international literaturfestival berlin (ilb) from February 2016 till December 2016.
The weekly workshops at the AWO Refugium Lichtenberg take place in the context of the Berlin Mondiale, government-funded through the Projektfonds Kulturelle Bildung Berlin. More information: Website andFacebook of the Berlin Mondiale.
The programme of the international literaturfestival berlin is funded by the Projektfonds Kulturelle Bildung. More information: Website Kubinaut.
TEAM Project management: Dr. Melanie Waldheim / melanie [dot] waldheim [at] literaturfestival [dot] com / 0176-24115644. Project collaborators: Ali Ghandtschi, Xenia Heinz, Christina Russmann, Shadi Samee-Frugi, Francesca Taliani.
