Interview with Noha Habaieb - the illustrator behind Arabicity
I would like to take this opportunity to tell you more about the person who illustrated the Arabicity cards. Her name is Noha Habaieb and she is a Tunisian artist and cartoonist who makes your family travel across the Arab region with her beautiful illustrations.
We interviewed her for you.
Noha, can you briefly introduce yourself?
I am Noha Habaieb and I was born in 1983. I studied graphic design at the Arts et Métiers de Sfax (Tunisia) and then in comics at the Saint Luc Liège school (Belgium).
When I returned to Tunis in 2010, I worked in the advertising business.
I participated in the first collection of Tunisian comics Koumik (2011) and with friends cartoonists we created the comics magazine Lab619 published in 2013.
Since 2014 I have worked as an independent draughtsman. And for a few months I’ve been the mother of a little girl.
Since when do you practice the art of illustration? Besides gam illustration, what are your other projects
I began to draw a long time ago. Firstly, it was in the form of doodles in school notebooks 🙂
Seven years ago, I started publishing illustrations for children and also comics in Lab619 magazine.
My projects are varied but it’s mainly educational drawing works for NGOs.
The latest project is the creation of the Glibett atelier specialized in illustration and graphics. It’s a project co-created with the designer Zeineb Ben Haouala.
Why did you choose to work with us?
I had already been following the project for a while and I have found the games very original! Fun way to learn Arabic : the concept is unique in the Arab world!
When Hanna asked me to work on Arab heritage : The answer was a big Yes. I found this project very inspiring.
For me this collaboration is more than a simple drawing work : it is also an important contribution in the world of educational games for children, which is unfortunately almost non-existent in our countries.
Where and how did you prepare the illustrations for Arabicity?
I worked in a coworking space in Tunis. It’s an office that I share with other artists.
The creation started with documentation for each city. Then I made sketches of several views and once the drawing validated I passed to the color and I tried to make you feel the atmosphere of the each city. Although the illustration can obviously not replace a trip to the region. I hope it inspires one. 🙂
The whole team congratulates you on the birth of your daughter. You were already pregnant when you started drawing the illustrations for the Arabicity game. What has pregnancy and motherhood changed in the way you create/design?
Thanks 🙂
It’s a pretty difficult question, I think you’re not really the same person when you’re pregnant. What is certain is that my emotions were more intense, it may have influenced my drawing.
I drew the cards in the last months of pregnancy and finalized them at the beginning of the maternity period. Arabicity is a bit my baby too 🙂
And now, the last question: What are your future or dream projects?
I don’t have any dream project. I just want to contribute to improve the publishing environment in Tunisia whether it’s by drawing children’s books or even working on educational books (and that would be a dream actually).
The comics are also important for me, I continue to collaborate actively in the magazine lab619, without forgetting the new project Glibett, our atelier dedicated to illustration and design.
Thank you so much Noha for this amazing collaboration. We wish you all the best with Glibett and we hope to work with you again, maybe on Arabicity 2 soon. There are so many more beautiful places to discover. More and more families are asking for an extension.
Don’t forget to follow Noha on the social media to discover her magnificent illustrations.
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