RAneem Hijazi
Freelance Illustrator & Designer
Palestinian Illustrations
Other Illustrations
Contact
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For business inquiries, please email akaneems (at) gmail (dot) comCommissions are open! Please message for quotes and further information.Resume Available upon request
Writing + Zines + Comics
Even in Death—She Was Exiled—Because Her Body Was Proof—They Could Not Refute.
My Great-Grandmother died a few years ago. In 2016. Or was it 2017?
I don’t remember.
Much of my life
is made up of half torn film reels,
scratched off timestamps.I don’t want to ask my mother,
because she mourns her Grandmother anew
with every mention of Her name.My Great-Grandmother’s dying wish
was to be buried next to Her husband on the land they married on,
but they didn’t let us carry Her body over the Jordan River.
So we buried Her near a refugee camp.The zionists were probably
afraid of Her corpse.I think about exhuming Her
when Palestine is Free,
but I’m pretty sure
Her body’s decayed by now.It's an ache that can’t be soothed
Even upon the Freedom of Liberation.I wish time machines were real
only so I could steal her body over the River,
even if it means giving up my own place in the Future of Liberation
as I succumb to movie reel anomalies.I didn’t even know Her that well,
But the last time I saw Her,
She lauded Praise and Love onto me
even though She probably didn’t know me that well either.I only want to
To Fulfill Her Last Wish
And deserve the Praise and Love she gave me—
So Freely.So Freely.
ROCKS AND PENS
What is a tank
against the ruins of ancestral homes
held in the palms of children
as they wind their hands backwards
to strike with the fury they inherited
from their grandparents?You're armed up
with bullets for teeth
devouring the sorrow of those you oppress.
All I have is this pen,
and my voice.
Who is the oppressed and who is the oppressor?
About
Raneem is a young Palestinian storyteller who finds meaning in creating loving and inspiring narratives that encourage people to be their best selves. They believe the people you connect yourself with are the reasons you start to find yourself and how you want to make you mark on the world.Raneem focuses on writing about loneliness, usually incorporating fantastical elements in their storytelling to appeal to a reader's soulful understanding of connection.Their work more recently involves celebration of Palestinian fashion and culture, focusing on the complex lives of Palestinian women and they beauty they create in spite of continued erasure of their peoples.They tend to read, draw, and go to new parks around town when they manage to find the time. Their favorite drink is Coke (from the can) and their favorite album is "Somewhere in Between" by Verite.CV available upon request.