Marwa Fatafta: Discover and Learn the Ways of an Artist
Teens nowadays often start social media accounts and use them as a way to express themselves through their talents. Expressing yourself can come in many forms. One of those forms, and the most common, is art.
Art has been around since the beginning of time. It has progressed in many different ways, however, the newest, most common way of art for teens nowadays is digital art! With the expansion of technology inventions, art can now be created through computers and phones.
Using talents like art, a lot of people use social media accounts to spread awareness or voice their opinions on certain issues in the world. One of those people is Marwa Fatafta (@othermarwa). A self-taught digital artist and a human rights activist who uses her platform for various causes. We conducted an interview with Marwa to help inspire other young people who are motivated by her, her art, or the meaning behind it altogether.
"Creating art has been part of who I am since I was a child, but I never had the space or the support to pursue it," Fatafta said.
Marwa was never able to pursue her art in her teen years. Growing up in a conservative village in Palestine, Marwa stated that the first feminist lesson she learned was that she needed to be financially stable to be free of male control. That caused her to stray away from art in order to find more financially supporting jobs.
Now fifteen years later, Marwa is living in Berlin and leading the work at a human rights organisation. She opened her platform two years ago as she wanted to share her hidden side.
"That’s why I named it (her account) Other Marwa. It’s a space for me to explore other parts of my identity, the woman, the creative, the feminist, the child. It’s how I want to inhabit this world, tell stories, answer my own questions, communicate and share with others."
Marwa has also revealed that her want to explore herself and others is one of the sole reasons for her motivation to draw.
Using talents like art, a lot of people use social media accounts to spread awareness or voice their opinions on certain issues in the world. One of those people is Marwa Fatafta (@othermarwa). A self-taught digital artist and a human rights activist who uses her platform for various causes. We conducted an interview with Marwa to help inspire other young people who are motivated by her, her art, or the meaning behind it altogether.
Marwa's Tough Journey and How It Lead Her to Where She Is Now
When Marwa was asked how would she describe her platform, she said it was a space to breathe."Creating art has been part of who I am since I was a child, but I never had the space or the support to pursue it," Fatafta said.
Marwa was never able to pursue her art in her teen years. Growing up in a conservative village in Palestine, Marwa stated that the first feminist lesson she learned was that she needed to be financially stable to be free of male control. That caused her to stray away from art in order to find more financially supporting jobs.
Now fifteen years later, Marwa is living in Berlin and leading the work at a human rights organisation. She opened her platform two years ago as she wanted to share her hidden side.
"That’s why I named it (her account) Other Marwa. It’s a space for me to explore other parts of my identity, the woman, the creative, the feminist, the child. It’s how I want to inhabit this world, tell stories, answer my own questions, communicate and share with others."
Marwa has also revealed that her want to explore herself and others is one of the sole reasons for her motivation to draw.
What Inspires Marwa and Her Advice to Young People
"The desire and curiosity to understand myself and others, and the freedom it gives me to cross boundaries," said Fatafta when asked about where her inspiration comes from. She has also claimed that she's inspired by struggle, such as her body, political and social struggles, "There is also a deep satisfying feeling when you sit down and draw. It’s probably the only thing that I can do with full concentration, kindness, and happiness that I totally lose sense of my time and surroundings. It is my meditation, it truly makes me happy."
Whenever Marwa has motivational issues she reads a certain quote that's on her desk, “Don't bend; don't water it down; don't try to make it logical; don't edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.”
"It was such an intimate experience to stare at my friends’ faces, examine their features and recreate them on paper. It was like getting to know them again." She said. "I did it once with Trump’s face, I am still traumatized."
She also expressed her love for drawing naked bodies, "It’s a taboo where I come from, I rarely show my mother my drawings. In a way, I feel I am reclaiming this body and deciding with utmost freedom its position and path."
Whenever Marwa has motivational issues she reads a certain quote that's on her desk, “Don't bend; don't water it down; don't try to make it logical; don't edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.”
Picture of Marwa
Marwa's Desire to Draw Her Friends and Taboo Topics
Marwa has also disclosed that her favourite kinds of pieces to draw are of her friends' faces."It was such an intimate experience to stare at my friends’ faces, examine their features and recreate them on paper. It was like getting to know them again." She said. "I did it once with Trump’s face, I am still traumatized."
She also expressed her love for drawing naked bodies, "It’s a taboo where I come from, I rarely show my mother my drawings. In a way, I feel I am reclaiming this body and deciding with utmost freedom its position and path."
What are Marwa's Future Projects and Where She is Hoping to Go With Her Account
When inquired about her visions of this account Marwa stated, "I wish at some point that people -and women in particular- can relate to my art and the images I create. I am experimenting with styles, themes, and different tools, and I hope I can find my own artistic style and voice soon."
She also talked about a previous project she did in Hammam Radio where they read badly written literary texts by men writers and that she would like to recreate these in actual art drawings for fun.
You can check out Marwa's page here: https://www.instagram.com/othermarwa/