Sticky Family - Friends, Peace and Sanctuary

“Sticky Family is a story made up from a series of creative workshops. In the fall of 2018, a group of 20 participants told personal stories, created dynamic characters and stitched together a small mythos that resulted in the Sticky Family narrative. Sticky Family and Friends, Peace and Sanctuary (FPS) has been one of the best projects I have ever been a part of.

I’ve spent months reflecting on our workshops and experiences together and feel so fortunate that folks trusted Yaroub and I to guide them through some pretty funny exercises to talk about real,

honest, and difficult topics. So much of this trust is due to the relationship FPS built with participants over the past 2 years.

Thanks to Friends, Peace and Sanctuary staff for your support on this project and trusting me to co-craft workshops, the comic’s script and layout for this book. Thanks to Yaroub Al-Obaidi for bringing the concept of the “sticky family” to the table and your excitement to co-draft and facilitate our workshops. Thanks to Eric Battle for brilliantly illustrating this story and bringing these characters to life. And a huuuge thanks to our incredible participants, who are the foundation of this project and who’ve strengthened my resolve in the power of creative storytelling.”

Friends, Peace and Sanctuary

Swarthmore College’s Friends, Peace, and Sanctuary project, supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, brings renowned book artists into conversation with Syrian and Iraqi individuals who have resettled to Philadelphia. Driven by questions about displacement and refuge, history and experience, the project explores art’s capacity to build empathy and create a deeper sense of belonging. The project will result in exhibitions in 2019 at Swarthmore College in the spring, three locations in Philadelphia throughout the summer, and Brooklyn, NY in the fall.

Exhibited at the Free Library of Philadelphia (Central Branch) and BOOKLYN in Brooklyn, NY

“Take an adventure with the “Sticky Family” comic, exploring the powers we have when we figure out how we fit together and act collectively towards peace.”

Learn more about the project here.