Safa El Samad, Limited edition Risograph print, The difference between love and war

Title: The difference between love and war
Year: 2024
Materials: Risograph print in black and red ink on envirocare 150gsm paper
Size: 297mm wide x 420mm high

Adapted from Soof's embroidery flash designs, this print showcases designs around the theme of war that mimics the texture of machine embroidery.

The main design obscures the letter 'ر' (ra) in the Arabic word for war حرب (harb). Once the letter 'ر' (ra) is removed the Arabic word for love حب (hubb) is what remains.

The fish is inspired by the story of a woman in Russia who wrote “Нет В—Е” (“No to W–”) in chalk on the street, with asterisks replacing the middle letters of "Войне" (war). Detained by police, she argued in court that the asterisks didn’t represent “war” but “Вобле,” a type of fish. She explained she just hated fish, which amused the judge, who let her go. The story spread, and the fish became a symbolic joke, with graffiti of fish now representing an anti-war sentiment.

Safa El Samad is a multidisciplinary artist and fashion designer with a passion for upcycling objects and garments destined for landfill. Recently, she designed the uniforms for the 9th Mpavilion and earned a Master's in Architecture from Monash University. 

Safa operates her brand ‘Soof’ out of Schoolhouse studio. Soof invites anyone to bring in old, unloved garments for revitalisation in order to mitigate the textiles from ending up in landfill and provide a sentimental attachment to the garment not found in mass produced clothing. She also loves engaging with community and creating awareness about the ongoing genocide in Palestine.