AMMAN — Local cartoonist
Emad Hajjaj has experienced both
criticism and praise over the course of his career. He spoke with
Jordan News
about his vision for his unique art form.
اضافة اعلان
“Caricature is my own way to change the world around me. It
is how I reshape the bitter truth of the world by drawing it from my own
perspective,” Emad Hajjaj told
Jordan News in an interview.
To artist Hajjaj, who created the famous character “
Abu Mahjoub” as a representation of the typical Jordanian man, cartoons are more
than just drawings; they are a movement. The artist, who has drawn creative and
provocative cartoons for over 25 years, was previously the chairman of the
Jordanian Cartoon Council Association.
Hajjaj seeks to make his cartoons as “light” and “amusing”
as possible. While some cartoonists weaponize their work by subtly insulting
other cultures, Hajjaj believes that a cartoonist must always be
“well-equipped” with ideas that provide humorous content to society without
creating a “clash of civilizations” and must stay as far away as possible from
spiteful content that does not represent the true colors of cartoons.
“Cartoons are a form of classy humor with a mission to draw
smiles and produce giggles. They are a ubiquitous language that speaks to
everyone without using words, not a tool of conflict. Whoever uses them in that
form is not a real cartoonist,” Hajjaj told
Jordan News.
While the artist is best known for covering political topics
in his cartoons, he believes that cartoons were created to express more than
just politics and that they should discuss topics such as life, history, and
philosophy.
“These concepts illustrate how cartoonists get their ideas and how
they perceive the world. A cartoonist, in my opinion, must build a mirror that
reflects how his eyes see the world in his work,” he said.
He also likes to express his nostalgic side through his
cartoons every now and then. “I am an extremely nostalgic person. Every now and
then I like to pause and replay my childhood memories, and can’t help myself
but to express them in my drawings,” he added.
His passion, however, continues to face obstacles. One of
them is censorship, a cartoonist’s worst nightmare. Censorship, according to
Hajjaj, is “developing into new modern forms” on online platforms that limit a
cartoonist’s ability to use their artwork to convey ideas.
Another challenge for Hajjaj is public misunderstanding of
his work. “This is one of the biggest obstacles in a cartoonist’s path,” he
said, “We are living in a world of visual symbols. If a cartoonist fails to
convey the message behind his cartoon, it will easily backfire on him.”
According to the artist, cartoonists in Jordan are going
through “very difficult times”, with many of them not being able to share their
work in the press as they once did. New artists in the field are taking to
social media platforms to share their humorous art, but do not get paid for
their work.
“The biggest accomplishment in a cartoonist’s world now a
day is to become an authorized illustrator and enter the world of TV
production. I hope that in the near future such accomplishments become
available for all the cartoonists’ and that the country takes these talents
under its wing,” he said.
Hajjaj hopes that this art form will always be carved in the
hearts of Jordanians and be a breath of fresh air when they need it.
“Cartoon
art will never die. I encourage all young cartoon artists to pursue this form
of art and know that the purpose it serves is great and noble,” he added.
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