CURA Research Workshop: From Idea to Impact: Making Political Art Across Mediums

On September 11, 2025, the Center for International and Regional Studies hosted a CURA research workshop titled “From Idea to Impact: Making Political Art Across Mediums.” The session took place at Georgetown University in Qatar and was led by Khalid Albaih, Artist in Residence at Georgetown University in Qatar. The workshop guided students from identifying a political idea to creating a focused visual study rooted in drawing and interpretation.

Where do political artworks come from, and where can they go? In this interactive workshop, Khalid Albaih guided students through the creative process of transforming political ideas into visual expression. The session began by exploring the origins of political art and how it often emerges from personal experience, social memory, or the emotional weight of a headline or online post. Through discussion and hands on exercises, participants reflected on issues that resonated with them and developed those ideas into drawings and visual interpretations.

Using simple multimedia materials, students experimented with symbolism, visual metaphors, and narrative framing to communicate their perspectives. The workshop encouraged participants to think critically about how political art functions as both commentary and resistance, and how a single image can invite reflection, dialogue, or change. By the end, many participants had produced captioned cartoon studies, poster style compositions, and small panel sequences that translated reflection into clear visual messages.

About the Artist

Khalid Albaih
Artist-in-Residence

Khalid Albaih is a Sudanese independent political cartoonist renowned for his incisive human rights advocacy, shared globally under the name Khartoon. His cartoons have been exhibited worldwide, and his writings have appeared in major international publications. Albaih was the central figure in The Guardian’s short documentary The Story of Civil Rights is Unfinished (2016) and has published two influential books: Khartoon! and Sudan Retold, an art book he co-edited featuring contributions from 31 Sudanese artists documenting Sudan’s rich history.

His work extends beyond drawing, with installations such as Bahar — a poignant video piece using found footage of refugees at sea — The Walls Have Ears (Documenta 15), Shahid (Mathaf, Qatar, 2024), and Season of Immigration to the North (Brescia Musei, Italy, 2024), all exploring themes of displacement and social justice. In 2024, he broadened his influence by hosting Alhasil Shino? on AJ+. Albaih is also the editor-in-chief of KhartoonMag.com, a platform for displaced Sudanese cartoonists, and creator of the award-winning @DohaFashionFridays, which amplifies marginalized voices. Through his work, Albaih remains a vital force in art activism, championing global social justice and freedom of expression.