The Mahmoud Kahil Award is an award program under the Mu'taz & Rada Sawwaf Arabic Comics initiative at the American University of Beirut that aims to promote comics, editorial cartoons and illustrations in the Arab world through the recognition of the rich talent and creative achievement of comics artists, cartoonists and illustrators in the region. This program was established in 2014 upon the initiative of Mr. Mu’taz Sawwaf to honor and perpetuate the legacy of the late Mahmoud Kahil, one of the leading cartoonists and caricaturists of the Arab world, and a former AUB graduate.
The Mahmoud Kahil Award is an award program under the Mu'taz & Rada Sawwaf Arabic Comics initiative at the American University of Beirut that aims to promote comics, editorial cartoons and illustrations in the Arab world through the recognition of the rich talent and creative achievement of comics artists, cartoonists and illustrators in the region. This program was established in 2014 upon the initiative of Mr. Mu’taz Sawwaf to honor and perpetuate the legacy of the late Mahmoud Kahil, one of the leading cartoonists and caricaturists of the Arab world, and a former AUB graduate.
At the onset of the Lebanese October 17th revolution, what initially began as a class assignment to tell the story of the streets of Beirut, transformed into one of illustrating personal accounts of the Thawra as the protests raged on. These thirteen visual stories provide a powerful testament to the profound impact of the experience of being a part of the Thawra in Beirut, from the various perspectives of a generation hoping for change. The project began in late October and was completed at the beginning of December 2019. This is the second edition of the work that was first released in a limited print during the revolution. The collection’s cover is hand-painted with spray paint using the original stencils used during the revolution and contains a sticker pack of the artwork.