ShareBy Faten Omar
KUWAIT: Artist Hashem Behbehani is turning to alternative methods such as webcomics as a medium to express his ideas about politics and spread awareness where news stories have failed. Behbehani, 32, who works in IT healthcare at Dasman Diabetes Institute, creates extraordinary drawings to tell the story of Kuwait and be the voice of Kuwait. Kuwait Times spoke to Behbehani to learn more about his comic art. Some excerpts.
Kuwait Times: Growing up, did you draw? When did you start your comic journal?
Hashem Behbehani: Early on in school, I enjoyed art. In art class, I was one of the few interested male students. Back then, I was doing a lot of still-life art and focusing on shadows. I did that until I graduated from school. After that I went into IT and lost my way when it comes to art due to a lack of guidance and motivation to do art.
At that time in 2006, there was no social media, and there was not as much appreciation for art as much as today. Today, you can see the new generation has it better in terms of the way they normalize art, but back then, art was a hobby and not a career. I started with my comic journal as an idea before COVID in 2020. Later, due to the lockdown and busy life gone, I focused more on comics and wanted to express myself. I wanted to discuss politics and culture, and felt the need to have a wide-spread voice and share my experiences.
KT: Where do you get inspiration for your posts? Who influenced you?
Behbehani: My inspiration came from a person that I came across on YouTube. The advice he received as an artist was that we are always trying many different things at once, which makes us distracted. Following this advice made me focus on a character and not random unfinished art. The one character that is basically me is called 'HB'. One of the comics I did is inspired by the idea of me questioning myself: HB is holding an opportunity in his hand, and he is excited about it. Then a question comes up, after that he throws the opportunity away. I posted this one specifically to be a reason for me to continue.
Inspiration comes from everything I see, hear and take in. Sometimes it could be something very personal to me or big political or international events. My drawing is like a diary - a journal that people can relate to.
KT: Can you tell us more about your philosophy in this type of art?
Behbehani: Politics is not my main focus, but this may change. There is a voice that needs to be heard. My philosophy comes down to experience. I don't target things on purpose. If Kuwait is going through a tough time and I feel like I want to express my opinion or just showcase something, then I feel art is the right way to do it. Sometimes art is stronger than words. The comic could put forward an idea and make people think without triggering anger.
On Twitter, I can see a lot of people speak about politics. They are always angry, but with cartoons, they are not. My goal is not to trigger people, but to show the other side, although the yoga post generated a lot of negative comments. This pushes me further to voice my opinion on anything that happens.
I never grew up in a place that was 100 percent Kuwaiti - I studied in a mixed school, then went to study abroad. Being someone who was not American studying in the US, I immediately felt I was in expats' shoes. We are all human. I saw how you should welcome people that are not from your country. I can relate to foreigners in Kuwait and hate it when Kuwaitis blame them for their problems. I know that foreigners are afraid to speak up because of the consequences.
KT: What was the first comic you ever worked on?
Behbehani: I started my first comic in September 2012 when I got back from the US after I graduated. I made seven comic works and posted them on my private personal Instagram account, describing my experience of coming back to Kuwait and suffering reverse culture shock. I made comics on the driving situation in Kuwait and the difference between hiring interviews in Kuwait and US. Then I stopped. I thought people are not interested in digital art. I was predicting people will not care about my art, but I stopped too soon.
KT: How would you describe your style?
Behbehani: My thought was that I do not want to limit my audience. I want to keep it as wide as possible, and that is why the HB character always used to wear a t-shirt and jeans, but with time, some ideas required him to be in a dishdasha. I saw the positive reaction and people loved it. So I alternate between Arabian and Western styles.
KT: Have you considered making a comic book or animated film?
Behbehani: For now, I think my focus is on my comic journal on Instagram. Kuwait is going through a lot right now - I want to discuss everything that happens. Maybe after a few years, I can publish a book of all my comic posts. Our life is the story.
KT: Tell us more about the stages of your artwork?
Behbehani: I like to observe things and take notes. Throughout my day, if something happens, I put the ideas down in my notes, and then I think about how to translate the idea into a visual. I sketch and draw it digitally on my iPad multiple times with a digital pencil. One comic takes at least seven hours and a maximum of 31. The longest drawing period was two weeks.
I always write down my ideas. I have more than 100 written ideas. If the idea is time sensitive, I draw it immediately and put it out; if not, I will save it for later. I post less because I want to focus on the quality and the more important message.
KT: Do you have any quick advice for aspiring comic illustrators out there?
Behbehani: My advice is to not think too much about the future. Think about the present - if you have something, just do it. Focus on one thing, one style, or one medium, and keep on doing it. You have to practice. You are going to be good at multiple things, but not great at one. Do not worry about people judging and negative comments. Things are much worse in your head than in real life.
KT: A last word.
Behbehani: Kuwait is going through a lot of tough times, a time when we are losing hope for a bright future, and I do not want us to lose hope. I feel that Kuwait is filled with people who are intelligent, motivated and smart, and we can do it. Even though it is good to point out flaws, at the end of the day, we want solutions, and we should be the solution to the problem.
