Interview with Kamal Sharaf

Interview with Kamal Sharaf – The Artist Whose Lines Are the Voice of Yemen

LATAMARTE: Mr. Sharaf, if you had to introduce yourself in one sentence, what would you say?
Kamal Sharaf: I am a Yemeni citizen who decided to record the voice of his people with ink and paper, even when the world has closed its ears.

LATAMARTE: What was the subject of the first cartoon you ever drew?
Kamal Sharaf: It was a picture of my schoolteacher holding a bomb instead of chalk! I was a child then, but war was always present in the classroom.

LATAMARTE: Yemen has been in crisis and war for years. How has this affected your art?
Kamal Sharaf: When you hear explosions every day, your pencil becomes a peaceful weapon. My lines are the tears and cries that perhaps no media will ever broadcast.

LATAMARTE: In your work, tragedy and humor often coexist. Why?
Kamal Sharaf: Because our people laugh even in the worst conditions, and that laughter is what keeps us alive. Humor is a shield that prevents the collapse of the soul.

LATAMARTE: Have you ever been threatened because of your work?
Kamal Sharaf: Yes, many times. When your pen stands against corruption or warmongering, there will always be those who want to silence you. But if art carries no risk, perhaps it has no impact.

LATAMARTE: What is the main message you wish to convey through your cartoons?
Kamal Sharaf: Humanity. That no flag, no border, and no ideology should outweigh the value of human life.

LATAMARTE: If you had the chance to paint one of your cartoons on the wall of the United Nations, what would it be?
Kamal Sharaf: A child sitting on ruins drawing a white dove, while behind him the members of the Security Council sit blindfolded.

LATAMARTE: What is your greatest wish for Yemen?
Kamal Sharaf: A country where children use colored pencils to draw the sky, not to sketch warplanes.

LATAMARTE: You have created many cartoons against the Zionist regime. What drives you to consistently address this subject?
Kamal Sharaf: When Palestinian children die under daily bombardment, I cannot remain silent. For me, cartoons are not entertainment—they are a visual record of crimes.

LATAMARTE: In your works, the United States often appears as the main supporter of the Zionist regime. How do you convey this message artistically?
Kamal Sharaf: Through symbols and metaphors. Sometimes a hand with the U.S. flag pulling the rope of a gallows for the Palestinian people speaks louder than a thousand words.

LATAMARTE: Have you faced censorship or political pressure when publishing these works?
Kamal Sharaf: Yes, many times. Some publications have refused to print my work, and I have even received threats. But silence is the worst form of censorship.

LATAMARTE: How much do you think cartoon art can influence global public opinion about the crimes of the Zionist regime and U.S. policies?
Kamal Sharaf: Art cannot instantly change policies, but it can plant the seed of awareness. Those seeds will one day grow into a forest of truth.

LATAMARTE