paint a tree in the desert
pintaunarboleneldesierto.blogspot.com
TREES IN THE DESERT So hard for a tree to grow in the desert, As hard as it is for a human being, When the essential is missing: water. So rare to find a forest in the desert, As rare as a village of people striving to survive Day after day, as if this were a life Worth living. Trees are symbols of life, Still contemplators of time, Trees can tell the most amazing stories We could ever imagine. Magical trees that whisper in our ears Waving their branches. Trees whispering stories in the air. Trees that recall the miracle of life, Reminding us that life takes just To be there and breathe ... Be it in forest or a garden. ... the desert, a hard place for a tree to be ... ... So, why do I see a forest here?
PAINT A TREE IN THE DESERT
With the following project PAINT A TREE IN THE DESERT, our purpose is to encourage and foster the development of the Saharawi School of Arts, located in Wilaya, in Bojador, in the Saharawi refugee camp in Tindouf (Algeria). Our aim is to link these camps and the Sahrawi School of Art with the rest of the world through illustration and more specifically with picture books because we believe that it is another way through which we can express ourselves. We want to present the PICTURE BOOKS to the SAHARAUI SCHOOL OF ARTS so that through it the Saharawi people can communicate their hidden reality, emotions, feelings, experiences... We want to show this other accessible tool with which they have the opportunity to discover a huge range of possibilities. Because our dream is to show new ways and alternatives for change, new ways to create images, words, ideas ... and then materializing them in the real world. Because, as Mila Vincente wrote, are we aware of we are co-creating reality in every word, every drawing, every look?
View of the Sahrawi School of Art and its environment
THE POSSIBILITY OF CREATING NEW WORLDS, IS IN OUR HANDS As a begining we have participated in Artifariti 2013 (International Meeting of Art and Human Rights), to link the work of international illustrators with the Saharawi people. The link has been established through illustrations of trees that have been donated, colorful trees that convey joy and feelings. Trees as a metaphor for adaptation to the environment, and life. Trees that we all have planted on the doors of the Sahrawi School of Arts, on the verge of something beautiful that is happening, on the verge of change. We want to thank all the people who have helped this project to proceed, because this forest that is being born in the desert is a symbol of support for the Saharawi people so that they know that these trees mean that we care about them, we want them to tell us, we want to know their reality, want to see their picture books.
ROBERTO MAJĂ N http://www.robertomajan.es
DIANA TOLEDANO www.diana-toledano.com
NATASCHA ROSENBERG http://www.nataschasrosenberg.com/
ILLUSTRATORS we contacted to participate in the project
CHRIS HAUGHTON http://chrishaughton.com
PATRICIA METOLA http://patriciametola.blogspot.com
DORTE KARREBAEK www.dortekarrebaek.dk
BENJAMIN CHAUD https://www.facebook.com/benjamin.chaud.1
GURIDI http://guridi.blogspot.com.es/
YAEL FRANKEL http://yaelfrankel.com/
DOORS of the Saharawi School of Arts The School has a large door composed of two units of 2,45 m. high and 4.56 m. width each. The image shows the east facade and composition, these doors have been manufactured in the local way, using an engraved plate. We would never have expected that the trees would be painted on them, it has been an honor.
OPEN DOORS
to host different cultures...
DOORS
of something beautiful that is happening:
doors of change Doors that open to what is to come, and let go of what has to go. Doors that have told us many things ...
BLUE for the Saharawi School of Arts
Everyone helped painting the doors in blue‌
That finally are contemplated ...
BLUE relaxing blue
TREES for the Saharawi School of Arts
Due to lack of time we could not paint all the trees received, so our friends were the ones who helped us decide which ones we should paint because we were stuck in indecision. It was very difficult for us to decide to paint just a few.
Everyone helped planting trees in the Saharawi School of Art.
Wonderful and unforgettable days of work full of joy, excitement and enthusiasm.
COLOR for the Saharawi School of Arts
In some cases we had to improvise and change the color of the original artwork. The end result: an explosi贸n of color and life.
Painting under daylight...
‌ and at nightfall.
A FOREST for the Saharawi School of Arts
Mohamed Bachiri (National Radio Saharawi journalist) Told us that, according to the Saharawi culture, if you have concerns and you are alone, you should talk to a tree because it will listen to you and relieve your problems.
‌ and latest details
Once completed, the project is presented to everyone. The Minister of Culture, Hadidja Hamdi, proposes to the students of The Sahrawi School of Arts to take care of the doors and restoring them once they deteriorate over time.
ILLUSTRATORS who sent us their tree as a symbol of support Ainhoa Ortells ■ Alejandro Grima ■ Aloña Barandiaran ■ Azahara ■ Ceci ■ Ely Serrato ■ Encarnación Castro ■ Ester Garcia ■ Esther Muñoz ■ Eva Casanova ■ Jon Artetxe ■ Loreta Lion ■ Marga ■ Max Saladrigas ■ Mirari Sagarzazu ■ Olaia Arrojo ■ Palmira Morn ■ Rocio Ilustradero ■ Rosa Skizze ■ Susana Rosique
THANK YOU ALL!
You have make it happen.
As our friend Mohamed Fadel said: “It’s going to be okay because we’re doing it together.”