30 July 2013 www.bahrainthismonth.com happeningsartsculture Ankita Mamgain What happens when two tremendously talented artists with maverick ideas, creative pursuits and a wild sense of humour get together? Life in cartoon motion! The Kingdom’s art scene is a reflection of its young and vibrant spirit and Mohammed Hussain Al-Mahdi and Wafa Abdulla Al-Alawi aptly demonstrate this. They have joined hands to form Cartoon Planet, a creative agency that uses caricature art in quirky ways to deliver artworks, ads, comic books, brand mascots and graphic designs. The duo combines their passion of art, wit and humour, and is fast becoming a creative force to reckon with in the country. Affinity for arts and an inspiring trip to Sri Lanka made Mohammed, the founder and creative director, to start Cartoon Planet over a year ago with Wafa, the art director and editor. The two met through Instagram, where a mutual admiration of each other’s work further catalysed this synergy. Apart from providing creative solutions, they hold lectures and workshops for corporate groups and art schools throughout Bahrain. The two look forward to a busy summer doing the same. The fun character of the company is brilliantly captured by Proton, their mascot, designed by Wafa. It is considered to be the inhabitant of Cartoon Planet; an outlandish character, which is full of positivity! Although they have a great variety of work coming their way, comics remain their first love. Their favourite comic book is the old Batman and Robin and someday they hope to release their own series. Having developed several cartoon characters of their own, Wafa and Mohammed have great admiration for others in the same field. The Jordanian artist Emad Hajjaj and David Horsey from the US are their favourite cartoonists. They also draw inspiration from Josh Neufeld and his graphic novel AD New Orleans after the Deluge and the works of Rick Burchett and Dr Sherif Arafa. The two look forward to widening their horizons throughout the GCC with their imaginative streak, love for cartoons and lots of humour. E Visit www.cartoon-planet.com. Mohammed Hussain Al-Mahdi Wafa Abdulla Al-Alawi Comic Relief Sergio Miranda’s Square Root exhibition comes to an end this month; so don’t miss out on his three amazing series of photographs. The first two, Número 11 and Bahrain on a Square, are decorative images that experiment with the inherent characteristics of photography. The third is part of a series called Ombligo, created to be part of a collective project exploring the concepts of common ground and dialogue. The exhibition, from July 1-9 at the World Beat Café, is open daily from 8.30am to 1pm and 4pm to 8pm, except on Fridays. E Call 17 612-576. Four-sided Imagery
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