These series of illustrations were created by third-year Illustration major, Iman Gadalla.
They were created for Gadalla’s Illustrating Beyond the page class, where the assignment was to create an artist book that tells a story. Due to a lack of resources, Gadalla had to get creative with her artist book and found a way to connect it and make it a digital story through including a quick animation.
These illustrations are connected through two main themes: light and home. Gadalla immigrated to the United States from Egypt when she was a child, and her memories from Egypt and her immigrant experiences have shaped the person she is today. The illustrations feature two main settings from Egypt: the corner of an old room, and a vendor out in the street. Each one has a version where it is lit in the day, and another in the night.
The corner of the room featured was a part of Gadalla’s room in her grandparents apartment in Egypt. Despite having a slightly larger room available, Gadalla specifically insisted on having this room because in the corner of it was a window that when the sun came up, the light would shine straight throughout the room, and when the sun went down and the moon took its place, the moonlight would lull her to sleep. This room is still one of her favorite memories to this day and she often dreams of going back to sleep in it, at least one more time.
The second setting is the vendor in the street. In a country like Egypt, most people decide to grab their produce from the popular street markets rather than grocery stores. These markets sell everything: from fruit, to clothes, to spices and toys. As a child, Gadalla’s grandfather would often take her to one of these vendors to grab any snack or toy she wanted. The Arabic inscription on the vendor says oranges, her grandfather’s favorite fruit. These vendors were often open late into the night, where the street culture really came to life, hence the inclusion of a night-time version of it.
The golden light swooping throughout the animation represents Gadalla’s grandfather, as the light and setting of these illustrations all reminded her of him. Though he has since passed, Gadalla’s grandfather remains an important part of her memory and who she is.
Gadalla’s illustrations are often recognized through the use of creative coloring and personal attachments. If you want to see more of her work, visit her Instagram: @imangadalla.
