“The war took away my colors. It’s not a conscious choice, but I realized that when I draw under the bombs I do it in black and white” Maya Fidawi confides from Beirut. Maya is a famous illustrator of children’s books. She began working as a designer, for which she received numerous awards, after studying Painting and Sculpture at university. He has published 44 books translated all over the world (including in Italy, published by Gallucci).
One of his latest drawings, published on his Instagram account, is a sort of self-portrait. A woman in bed, with wide eyes, and around her written in English and Arabic: breaking, warning, Boom! “Long sleepless and noisy nights, with the screen glued to my face reading news flashes every 5 minutes,” reads the caption.
Maya, how is it living under the Israeli bombings that are pounding Southern Lebanon and Beirut?
“The bombs feel close to me. I live in the western part of Beirut, which is often targeted these days. But unfortunately for me it is nothing new. I was born in 1977, two years after the civil explosion. Then we had the Israeli invasion and many other moments of war. In Lebanon we have not had long periods of peace in the last fifty years. We are used to it, but this time it is harder”.
How did you organize your life?
“We always live in uncertainty and it’s not easy. I have two children, an 18-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl. I’m very worried about them, especially when they go out. The worry is constant, we suffer from insomnia because the bombings are often at night. But I’m not giving up on my life. I teach in three different universities, with in-person and online courses. Even today I left home to go to the American University, I like interacting face to face with my students.”
Have you ever thought about leaving Lebanon?
“No, I never thought about leaving. When I got married in 2006 I spent some time in Qatar, but seeing the city in flames from afar is torture, I wanted to return. I love my home, my city and my country. I will never leave them.”
And what future do you see for your children?
“Lebanon is an unstable country, fragile internally and attacked from outside. When a student graduates, he thinks of going abroad to work or continue his studies abroad. I think that my son, perhaps in a couple of years, will also make the choice to leave.”
Does art, drawing, help you overcome fear and resist?
“Yes, art helps us survive. It unites people because when I express my feelings with a drawing it is easy to make others understand me. Art creates bonds, you feel that you are not alone. Even if you draw in black and white, but then the colors will return.”
Is the future of Lebanon in color?
“I am 48 years old, I have survived many wars and I have never lost hope. This country will get back up and move forward, as many of us do every day. I remember that my mother, during the civil war, waited for the ceasefire to take me to the theater and my father, when the guns were silent, took me to see classical music concerts. I will never forget an evening when there was fighting not far from our house. They were guests at the house of family friends. They were shooting outside and they they play the guitar and sing. This is the spirit of my country. Friendship, art and love for life are the wealth of the Lebanese.”
