Tracy Chahwan | Beirut Bloody Beirut

Tracy Chahwan's bold and vibrant posters have become a common fixture of Beirut's walls, and her colorful illustrations are known and loved by people across the Arab world and beyond. For this episode of the afikra podcast, she joined us in our Beirut-studio to reminisce on the early days of her career, and discuss key influences and what it means to remain authentic as an artist. Referencing her work for Beirut Groove Collective, Samandal, the Nib and ultimately publishing her own comic novel "Beirut Bloody Beirut", Tracy maps how her style has evolved over time. She talks about the difference between commissioned and personal work, what it takes to brand and market yourself as an artist, and how her relationship with Beirut has shifted and changed over the years.