Shujaat and ILast night we did something out of the ordinary in this desert peninsula. Believe it or not, we actually found ourselves at a wonderful cultural event. The happening was a political cartoon joint exhibition by famous and controversial cartoonist Shujaat — with work that has upset a number of countries (including the US and Iran) — and that of Frenchman Jean Plantureux.

It was fun to see Shujaat’s work displayed at the French Cultural Center. I was impressed by the many awards he has won from different international organizations. His work is smart, witty and oh so politically-risque! It really is wonderfully expressive stuff, even if you don’t always agree with his political message.

During the exhibition, Shujaat was very busy drawing caricatures of visitors. However, I managed to interrupt him to tease him about a sexy drawing of Salma Hayek in a huge montage image that he managed to sneak in alongside all those politically controversial cartoons. Really, what’s with men and Salma Hayek anyway? Plantureux had his moments as well, peaking our interest with his curious "Thong-Hijab" [in the middle below] cultural comparative.

Salman Rushdie and Satan
Cultural edifice: Thongs & Hijabs
Shujaat's Masterpiece