Maya Zankoul
Encyclopedia
Maya Zankoul (born 30 June 1986 in Hasbaya
, Lebanon
) is a Lebanese
author
and visual artist, mostly known for her sarcastic cartoons and comics
published in her books and her popular webcomic
blog
, Amalgam.
, Saudi Arabia
, and in 2005 moved to her home country Lebanon
, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design
in 2007 from Notre Dame University – Louaize.
, Amalgam, where she shares illustrations commenting on daily life in Lebanon from a socio-political point of view.
She self-published her first book
, Amalgam, in 2009, reaching Top 5 in sales at Virgin Megastore
.
In summer 2010, after touring Lebanon with her exhibition
Amalgame, she published her second book, Amalgam Vol. 2.
In January 2011, she founded her own design studio in Beirut,. The Italian translation of her books is published by publishing house Il Sirente
, in their Altriarabi series, and the books are set to be launched at the Pisa Book Festival.
In books
She has also lectured at the American University of Beirut
, and has presented her work at the First Creative Commons
Salon in Amman
, Jordan
and at Pecha Kucha
Night 6 in Beirut
.
In May 2010, she signed her book in Geneva
, Switzerland
.
Hasbaya
Hasbeya or Hasbeiya is a town in Lebanon, situated about 36 miles to the west of Damascus, at the foot of Mount Hermon, overlooking a deep amphitheatre from which a brook flows to the Hasbani. In 1911, the population was about 5000....
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
) is a Lebanese
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and visual artist, mostly known for her sarcastic cartoons and comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
published in her books and her popular webcomic
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, Amalgam.
Early life
Maya Zankoul grew up in JeddahJeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, and in 2005 moved to her home country Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
in 2007 from Notre Dame University – Louaize.
Career
In 2009, she started her comic blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, Amalgam, where she shares illustrations commenting on daily life in Lebanon from a socio-political point of view.
She self-published her first book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
, Amalgam, in 2009, reaching Top 5 in sales at Virgin Megastore
Virgin Megastore
Virgin Megastores is an international chain of record shops, founded by Sir Richard Branson on London's Oxford Street in early 1971. Virgin Megastores are best described today as entertainment retailers....
.
In summer 2010, after touring Lebanon with her exhibition
Exhibition
An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within museums, galleries and exhibition halls, and World's Fairs...
Amalgame, she published her second book, Amalgam Vol. 2.
In January 2011, she founded her own design studio in Beirut,. The Italian translation of her books is published by publishing house Il Sirente
Il Sirente
Editrice il Sirente is an Italian book publisher with specialisms in arabic fiction and comics, investigation, actuality and international law. .The company was founded in 1998...
, in their Altriarabi series, and the books are set to be launched at the Pisa Book Festival.
Author, Illustrator
- Amalgam (2009) ISBN 978-9-953-01521-7
- Amalgam Vol. 2 (2010) ISBN 978-9-953-01846-1
Illustrator
In the press- Making it
- The Global Journal
- ELLE Oriental
- ArabAd
In books
- Nuits Beyrouthines
Exhibitions
- "Samneh w 3asal" (2011) At Tawlet Souk el Tayeb (Beirut)
- "Amalgame" (2009, 2010) At the French Culture Center (Beirut, Saida, Tripoli, Deir el Qamar and Zahle centers)
Other work
Zankoul actively participates in illustration in local and regional events. She did live illustrations at the Arabnet 2010 conference and at the 17e Salon du Livre Francophone de BeyrouthShe has also lectured at the American University of Beirut
American University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...
, and has presented her work at the First Creative Commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
Salon in Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and at Pecha Kucha
Pecha Kucha
Pecha Kucha is a presentation methodology in which 20 slides are shown for 20 seconds each, usually seen in a multiple-speaker event called a Pecha Kucha Night ....
Night 6 in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
.
In May 2010, she signed her book in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
External links
Articles and interviews
-
- Book signing on nowlebanon.com, 11/04/10
- Article in the Gulf News, 03/09/10
- Book signing on nowlebanon.com, 11/04/10
- Maya's profile on Bodoï.fr, 11/11/2009
- Amalgame exhibition by Maya Zankoul in Femme Magazine, 07/12/09
- Interview on marieclaire.it, 16/10/09
- Interview on The Daily Star, 04/06/09
- Candidates are not the only choice - Interview on The National newspaper, 04/06/09
- Talking to: Blogger Maya Zankoul - Interview on nowlebanon.com, 01/06/09
Videos
-
- Maya Zankoul's interview on BBC, 02/06/10
- Maya Zankoul's presentation at the Creative Commons Salon in Amman, 17/11/09
- Interview on mtv, 09/04/09
- Interview on Al Hurra TV, 16/06/09