خيوط من الهوية: رحلة الفنانين الكويرين من منطقتي جنوب غرب آسيا وشمال أفريقيا في برشلونة

Despite Queerness always existing as an essential aspect of human identity, the experiences surrounding queerness differ depending on the geography and history in which a queer person is born. The challenges that come with being queer in the SWANA region (South-West Asia and North Africa), or what is often referred to as the Arab World, are endlessly webbed with threads constructed from a past rich with both glorious and disappointing events to a present limited by traditions, religion, politics, and socioeconomic chains. On these entangled threads, Queer artists from the SWANA region always joined the camp for individual liberties; each in their own way scratching and even tearing the web through their art. Here are mine and four stories of SWANA Artists in Barcelona out of many.

على الرغم من أن الكويرية كانت دائماً جزءاً أساسياً من الهوية البشرية إلا أن التجارب المحيطة بالهوية الكويرية تختلف باختلاف الجغرافيا والتاريخ الذي يولد فيها المغايرين جنسيًا، حيث تتشابك التحديات التي يواجهونها في منطقتي الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا بخيوط معقدة مصنوعة من ماضٍ غني بالأحداث المجيدة والمخيبة للآمال وحاضر محدود بالتقاليد والدين والقيود السياسية والاقتصادية. على هذه الشبكة دائماً ما ينضم المبدعين من الكويريين إلى معسكر الحريات الفردية لكسر هذه القيود من خلال أعمالهم.
 في هذا المقال سنتطرق إلى قصتي وقصص أربعة مبدعين من منطقتي الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا ومقيمين في مدينة برشلونة الإسبانية

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Ash; the Queer-Eyed Tattoo Artist

Ash is a tattoo artist from Cairo, Egypt who blends queerness, culture, and activism into his unique designs. When asked about the impact of these three aspects on his art, he explained how viewing the world and its taboos through a queer lens significantly influences much of his creative work. He pointed out that one of his designs, featuring trans male and female bodies, was a fusion of his appreciation for the artistic beauty of trans bodies and his personal interest in the details of ancient Greek and Roman statues.

Another design we talked about, out of the many he has inked throughout his career, was the slur for Queer in Arabic. It was birthed out of his appreciation for Arabic calligraphy and the will to reclaim the power of such heavy and traumatizing words. “I grew up feeling alone as my queer peers in our region, and later being in a community that looks and feels like me made me realize how important representation is whether on personal or public levels,” Ash answered on where the urge to represent marginalized communities in his work comes from.

“When I moved to Europe, I felt how different it was to challenge societal norms here to back home and the impact of what we do back home or in the diaspora on our region. There’s a certain power to what we SWANA artists do that cannot be described in words. In a way, everything I do here is for my people back home.”

آش: الوشّام ذو العدسة الكويرية

آش هو فنان وشم من القاهرة في مصر، يمزج بين التعدد الجنسي والثقافة والنشاط السياسي في تصاميمه الفريدة. عندما سُئل عن تأثير هذه الجوانب الثلاثة على فنه، شرح كيف أن رؤية العالم وتابوهاته من خلال عدسة التعدد الجنسي تؤثر بشكل كبير على الكثير من أعماله الإبداعية. أشار إلى أن إحدى تصميماته كانت مزيجاً من تقديره للجمال الفني لأجساد الأشخاص العابرين جنسيا واهتمامه الشخصي بتفاصيل التماثيل اليونانية والرومانية القديمة.

ناقشنا تصميماً آخر، من بين العديد من التصاميم التي قام بوشمها طوال مسيرته، وهو تصميم عن كلمة تستخدم في المجتمعات العربية للإساءة للكويريين. وُلد هذا التصميم من تقديره لجمال الخط العربي ورغبته في استعادة القوة من هكذا كلمات ثقيلة ومؤلمة.

عند سؤاله، أجاب آش عن دافعه لتمثيل المجتمعات المهمشة في عمله: "شعرت بصغري بالوحدة كما جميعنا في منطقتنا لكن وجودي لاحقاً في مجتمع يشبهني جعلني أدرك مدى أهمية التمثيل سواء على المستوى الشخصي أو العام". "عندما انتقلت إلى أوروبا، شعرت بالفارق في التحدي للمعايير الاجتماعية هنا مقارنة بالوطن، وبتأثير ما نقوم به سواء في الوطن أو في الشتات على منطقتنا. هناك قوة معينة فيما نقوم به نحن فنانو الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا لا يمكن وصفها بالكلمات. بطريقة ما، كل ما أفعله هنا هو لأهلي في الوطن

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About Ash and Takhnis

Ash, also known as ashtattz, is a queer tattoo artist from Egypt. He recently began to DJ, debuting his sets at the ICONIQA art book launch events in both Barcelona and Berlin. He’s launching a new event called Takhnis, set to launch on October 25. 

Ash's desire to create Takhnis stems from a journey of self-discovery that began in the Middle East. Music played a vital role in Ash's experience of queerness, serving as a cherished escape where they could express their true self. With this in mind, Ash aims to provide a queer-welcoming, safer space for Arabs to celebrate their identities through the same music they grew up listening to. The intention is to recreate that nostalgic feeling that many in the community miss from back home.

The word "Takhnis" has a rich yet uncommon history. It is derived from the older Arabic term “khanis,” which has historically described feminine behavior in a man, bearing a resemblance to the word "faggot." However, the queer community has reclaimed this term, now using it with pride. In this context, the literal meaning could be interpreted as “faggoting.”

As for whether Takhnis is exclusively for queer Arabs, Ash is clear: "Obviously not! Everyone is welcome here as long as they respect each other's spaces and understand that they are stepping into a queer environment." Ash emphasizes that Arabic music is meant to be enjoyed together; it’s all about celebrating with others. One of the most famous Arabic dance moves, “dabke,” illustrates this communal spirit, as it requires a minimum of three people to begin the dance. Ash invites everyone to join the celebration, reminding them that the dance floor is a healing space that deserves respect.

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More features soon!