Mohammad Saba’aneh
The Ninth Art of Resistance
Mohammad Saba’aneh is a Palestinian cartoonist and caricaturist from Jenin, currently residing in Ramallah. He has been an active member of Cartoon Movement since 2009. Saba’aneh is also a cartoonist for Al-Hayat al-Jadida, the official daily newspaper of the Palestinian Authority, and works at the Arab American University of Jenin in the West Bank. He was a political prisoner in Israel.
He has received numerous awards for his commitment, including the Prix d’Or at the Marseille International Cartoon Festival in 2017. In 2021, he published his comic “Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine” in the United States, considered the first Palestinian comic. His cartoons have been translated into English, French, Italian, and Greek.
In 2023, he organised the first collective exhibition of Palestinian comics. One of his murals was displayed during the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Nakba at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
He has always intertwined his art with political activism, depicting the reality of a people at war without ever straying from his land. With his bold style and the irony of caricature, he has been able to represent the tragedies and daily injustices that afflict Palestine.
His cartoons consistently carry political narratives that depict the everyday hardships faced by Palestinians under occupation. His commitment aims to give voice to Palestine, seeking to influence international public opinion. His work as a cartoonist does not forget the legacy of Naji Al Ali, the Palestinian cartoonist who was a refugee in Lebanon and created the character Handala. At the same time, thanks to his important international network, he brings a Palestinian visual and narrative synthesis to the world.
Joe Sacco said that his comic is “an artistic triumph that will long stand as a testament to the spirit of the Palestinian people. Sabaaneh is a master.”
“Every cartoon I create is a small battle, a fight against the invisibility of our cause. Comics are our way of resisting, of telling the world that we exist, that we are alive, and that Palestine will never be forgotten,” he stated. Through his work, Mohammad Saba’aneh continues to tell Palestine as a story of resistance and dignity, using his talent in the service of freedom and justice.
© Elettra Stamboulis
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