Mohamed El-seht wanted to be a dentist, but his identical twin brother Haitham encouraged him to share in his passion for art. Now, the pair are at the centre of the creative scene in Egypt under the pseudonym Twins Cartoon.
Speaking to Design Indaba, the El-seht brothers say they find inspiration in the streets of Egypt. Encouraged to express themselves during the Arab Spring, the demonstrations against oppression, the brothers took the streets to take part in the cultural revolution. As Mohamed explains, “the comics are like a mirror.”
“We lost a lot of friends,” says Haitham as his brother adds, “But this was motivation for us to keep going and make the best for them, the people who were killed by the authority.”
The creative pair founded a project called Kawkab el rasameen (“painters planet”), which brings together a large community of local artists. They’ve also founded Garage comics magazine and the Cairo Comix International Festival.
