Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Dima Nachawi

Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Dima Nachawi

From Khatt Chronicles: Stories on Design from the Arab World by afikra

August 8, 2025 · 35 min · Season 4 · Episode 5

About this episode

Yasmine Nachabe Taan interviews Dima Nachawi about her artistic journey and the intersection of humor and social advocacy in her work.

Yasmine Nachabe Taan interviews Beirut-based Syrian visual storyteller and illustrator Dima Nachawi. They discuss her professional journey, education, and projects. Dima shares her passion for making people laugh, clowning, drawing, singing, performing, shadow puppetry, and street theater. Her multidisciplinary practice is connected to her Syrian roots through which she documents and advocates for social causes and injustices. Together they unpack some of the political narratives behind her projects, and discuss how humor can help circumvent censorship and oppression. They also discuss the importance of female figures with long flowing hair in her illustrations; how they symbolize homelands, freedom, strength, and resilience; and how they are often a part of the cityscape or of trees, rooted in nature, and holding their ground. Dima Nachawi's work is featured in the book, Revealing Recording Reflecting: Graphic Women from Southwest Asia and North Africa (Amsterdam: Khatt Books, 2024).

People in this episode

Host: Yasmine Nachabe Taan

Guest: Dima Nachawi

Topics covered

  • visual storytelling
  • illustration
  • social causes
  • humor
  • female empowerment
  • Syrian culture

Keywords

  • Dima Nachawi
  • visual storyteller
  • illustration
  • humor
  • Syrian roots
  • social justice
  • female figures
  • artistic practice

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Khatt Books

Books & works: Revealing Recording Reflecting: Graphic Women from Southwest Asia and North Africa

Places: Beirut, Syria

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