I was introduced to Zayed’s work in MEFCC 2015.

I remember that I had a budget, and I was very careful with the work I wanted to buy, and when I was about to leave I saw his booth and froze in awe. He could easily win a best booth competition, because it was so different, refreshing and raw. Behind him in huge black letters ‘A COMIC FOR FREAKS’, and on the side a very intense looking mushroom on craft paper. The table had some of his characters, next to plants. Hanging on top are these blue clouds that made it all complete. On the edges of the booth was a ‘CAUTION’ tape and I knew then that I had to purchase whatever he was selling. I bought ’Do not go up there!’ and when I read it at home, I couldn’t stop smiling from how brilliant this graphic novel was.

I saw him again in MEFCC 2016 with a new zine, and you best know that I bought the heck outta that one and asked him to sign it. What an absolutely brilliant human with a refreshing take on illustrating in MENA.

“I like to draw, and I like to write. For the longest time I felt torn between the two, but comics and zines gave me an outlet to do both at once. I’m fascinated by people and their behaviors and motives. There is so much beauty and truth in the ugly things around us, that are not paid much attention, from these places to things to creatures. So, and as cheesy as it may sound, I try to look for that beauty. I used different mediums, but I’m most comfortable with inking. My works seems incomplete, page and just plain ugly at times, but I’m ok with that. It’s life, so, I forgive myself and my work for being the way it is.” – Zayed Temash

LINKS

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/zayedtemash/

Sarah Ahmed is a 24 year old, Network & Security in information technology graduate. She is the founder, & curator of the Middle Eastern e-mag, Jaffat El Aqlam. When she’s not stressing out about self-made deadlines, she experiments with glitch art, film photography & watercolors. She listens to what her family calls, ‘alien music’ and takes pictures of plants in her city.