Books — Made in UAE
WORKSHOP FOR MANGA ARTISTS

„Books – Made in UAE“ has entered the next round with a workshop for Emirati Manga artists.  Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) thus continued their efforts to support the growth of an Emirati comic literature scene.
 

Before the 5-day workshop which took place at the Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children in Dubai, workshop instructor Inga Steinmetz from Berlin had asked the eleven participants to think up stories which dealt either with the topic of „nature“ or „friendship“.
 
In the group and in one-to-one sessions the young artists worked closely with Inga Steinmetz on the development of their stories and their drawing techniques, e.g. for facial expressions, emotions, hair style and clothing. Inga Steinmetz also shared methods for background visualization, perspective and how to use time effectively while narrating. In the end, every participant had completed a 4-step manga in full color, both in English and Arabic.

Valuable information about the publishing process and the local market for comic books was provided in a morning session with publishers Ali Al Shaali and Muhanad Al-Saadig (Al HudHud Publishing & Distribution) and comic artist Shihab Aldeen („Alaa The Bounty Hunter“).
 
The creative results were presented during a session in the Illustrators’ Corner at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2016 and very positively received by the audience.
 

Ayesha Almheiri, a Dubai-based freelance graphic designer and illustrator, sums up: „One of the most fun and delightful experiences any artist could be in. I would never have thought that I had the power to that much in one week. This workshop made me realise what I am capable of as an artist“.
 
Khalid Mezaina, an independent graphic designer, illustrator and artist, says: „It was a great experience understanding the basics of making comic books and being around such a creative environment. I can’t wait to start creating my own comics and stories in the near future.“

And Asma Al Romaithi, a manga artist from Abu Dhabi, comments: „I think the workshop was a very exciting experience, and I am very happy that we have more of these workshops here in the UAE, we need them!“
  „Books – Made in UAE“ is organised by the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) and the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region and sponsored by Knowledge without Borders.