Mohamad Tantoori, Wajiha Radwan and Alaa Alasaad (first, third and fourth from the right) pose with Mohamad Hafeda from Febrik during the "Creative Refuge" book signing. Above are their portraits as they appeared in the book as participating children.
One of our latest efforts in publication design, "Creative Refuge" was printed and shared publicly during a book-signing event in Beirut. The book was concieved by Febrik, a non-profit collaborative platform for participatory art and design. "Creative Refuge" documents the outcome of art workshops held with children in Burj El Barajne Palestinian Refugee Camp. The book is as much a research manual as it is a window into the creative minds, dreams and aspirations of the participating children. It also paints a novel picture of the camp environment, where the notion of a space of refuge is expanded, contested, negotiated and molded through the children's creative processes and interventions.
At the book-signing event itself, some of the participating children from the camp were in attendance. This was a special surprise for us because, as the book designers, we worked with many of their portraits and grew familiar with their friendly faces and charming smiles. Seeing them years later as young adults was an absolute treat. We are thrilled to have played a part in this enormous effort, and congratulate the Febrik team on a most necessary and enlightening work.
