Journey's Drawn: Illustration from the Refugee Crisis

About

Vivacity presents Journey's Drawn: Illustration from the Refugee Crisis, a touring exhibition from House of Illustration, which explores ways in which illustration has engaged with the human stories behind the headlines, through reportage illustration, graphic novels and animations. The exhibition, which will go on display at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, will show 40 multi-media works by 12 contemporary artists, two of whom are themselves refugees. The show will document refugee journeys both observed and experienced first-hand over the past three years. Illustrators have the unique opportunity to act as visual journalists, spending extended periods of time in situations where photography is banned or too intrusive.

Iranian artist Majid Adin’s award-winning animation for Elton John’s Rocket Man draws on his own journey to the UK; imprisoned for his political works in Iran, Adin was smuggled to London inside a refrigerator before winning a competition to reimagine the iconic ballad. Palestinian-Syrian Mahmoud Salameh’s bold cartoons – inspired by 17 months in an Australian detention centre – and British Libyan Asia Alfasi’s manga explore issues faced by refugees.

Journey's Drawn will also include war zone reportage by George Butler from Syria, Olivier Kugler’s digital portraits of refugees arriving on the Greek Island of Kos and Kate Evans’ graphic novel that recounts her experience of volunteering in the Calais Jungle.

The 12 illustrators are: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad | Majid Adin | Asia Alfasi | George Butler | Nick Ellwood | Kate Evans |David Foldvari | Karrie Fransman | Olivier Kugler | Toby Morison | Mahmoud Salameh | Gideon Summerfield

Journey's Drawn belongs as part of 'Home and Humanity', a programme of art by Vivacity reflecting the reality of life as a refugee.

Find out more about House of Illustration: https://houseofillustration.org.uk