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The Chronicles of Shamal

18 Bahrain Confidential February 2016 art space

Anna Thackray is a British artist living in Bahrain. One look at her work and you know she rides the dark side like a boss. Bahrain Confidential finds out the latest scoop on Shamal, her comic book trilogy, and what inspires her to use local themes in a time when most artists go with internationally popular ones.

Tell us a little about Shamal. books reflects the frustration and I have created 3 books in the Shamal Trilogy happiness experienced when I paint and the latest book is the edited improved or sculpt. I did this on my own, version of the story combined into one for 39 months sometimes working book 12 hours a day. I did this because • The Awakening of Shamal. No time to it is art! What more functional waste! Chapter 1 and perfect medium is there but • The Feuding Shamal. War is Peace! the power of telling a story with Chapter 2 pictures… isn’t that what a painting • The Conquering Shamal. The Endless or sculpture sets out to achieve beginning! Chapter 3 anyway? • The Chronicles of Shamal How is your comic book What inspires you to use local different from most others? themes in your stories? This comic book is unconventional; I complete 8 years in and I purposely tried not to follow Bahrain, next month. I love stories and the current trends in comic book especially listening to Bahraini’s share their design. I wanted it to be unique stories with me. It was impossible not to be and created in isolation. Therefore inspired by the tales and hence the creation most of the reference images are of of my comicbook. my close family or me. For instance all the hands in the book are my What challenges did you face in the own. Further, my husband’s mum process of creating Shamal? inspires a major good character in I studied Fine Art, not Comic/Animation the book. Art, so the toil that brought Shamal Comic

Bahrain Confidential February 2016 19 art space

Share a few interesting folklores you have learned from your interviews with locals. There are quite a few. An interesting one is "Um Humar”, the mother of the donkey (read Mother Donkey) who is a half human and half donkey woman, and would get any child that stays out late. I was told by a great friend that the whole story is that this woman was once normal but then when her blaring donkey got killed by people of the village she got mad, so mad that she turned into a donkey and took revenge on the villagers. The stories I have been told also mention that the Tree of Life is not to be visited after dark. Then there is the story about the sweet water; the water, which sprung forth from the sea and is indeed a fact; a lot of stories are attached to these life-giving waters

Any artists whose work you closely follow? Wow, there are so many... In Bahrain there are quite a few amazing street artists, Moe Alaabar, for instance. Moe created an owl, which is featured in my book (see newspaper image on bottom left). Huvil Art is another artist I follow and contemporary ones like Tamadher Ali. I even like the work of poets like Laala Kashef Alghata and others. My inspiration comes from Lichtenstein, Edward Hopper, Louise Bourgeois, Kiki Smith and many more.

Any surprises for the New Year? In 2016, I take the Shamal comicbook to the rest of the world and so there are quite a few ambitious plans. Everyone needs to know this awesome country, Bahrain, with its unique culture and landmarks; therefore I could be considered Bahrain’s self-appointed ambassador. The story itself continues and Shamal is presently looking for the new villain in Dubai... however don’t worry, his base will always be here in Bahrain, and to where he will return following his travels.

Anna studied and completed her B.A. (Hons) in Fine Art and Painting in 2006 at Winchester School of Art, Southampton University in the UK. Visit desert-comic.com to check out more of her work. @althackray

20 Bahrain Confidential February 2016