Zahra Marwan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zahra Marwan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kuwait |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Occupations | Artist, illustrator, writer |
| Years active | 2015–present |
Zahra Marwan is an American artist and writer. Her work mainly focuses on her early life as a stateless person in Kuwait and an immigrant in New Mexico. She has won various international awards and fellowships.[1] Her debut book received critical acclaim.
Marwan was born in Kuwait to a stateless Shia family from the Ajam ethnic group.[2][3][4][5] In the 1950s, her family name was lost in translation during census registration.[6] Her mother has Kuwaiti citizenship. Her father was born stateless despite having Kuwaiti family members.[7][8][9] She immigrated to New Mexico as a child and eventually became an American citizen at the age of 16.[10] She graduated from Rio Rancho High School.[10] She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Mexico in Languages and Literature, with a minor in Flamenco Dance and History as well as a minor in Philosophy.[11] She also studied the visual arts in France.[12][13][14][1]
Career
Her debut picture book, Where Butterflies Fill the Sky, was published by Bloomsbury Books in March 2022 and named one of The New York Times / New York Public Library's 10 Best Illustrated Books as well as NPR's Best Books of 2022.[15][11] She also won the Ezra Jack Keats Honor for Illustration and a Dilys Evans Founders Award from the Society of Illustrators.[16]
She was honored with an award by the UN Human Rights Commission for creating art that brings visibility to statelessness, indigenous groups, and minority rights.[11]
Works
Author and illustrator
- Where Butterflies Fill the Sky, 2022
- The Sunflowers, 2024
- Fishermans New Year, 2025
- Sakina and the Uninvited Guests, 2025
- Soft Sea Rain and Spirits, 2025
Illustrator
- The Goldfish written by Katherine Arden, 2024
- My Sister the Apple Tree written by Jamal Saeed and Jordan Scott, 2025
- Haniya's Ramadan Garden written by Zeshan Akhter, 2025
