24 July 2014

BEIRUT: At first fleeting glance, the works of local artist Saint Hoax recall the halcyon days of childhood. Incorporating Disney characters in a slew of recent works, however, the pseudonymous artist has called attention to darker realities facing young people today.

In a series of recent works that have caught the attention of publications such as Huffington Post and the Guardian, Saint Hoax digitally blackened the dewy eyes of Disney princesses and added lacerations to once perfectly plumped lips.

When did he stop treating you like a princess: Its never too late to put an end to it, the images are captioned.

Little is known about Saint Hoax, except that he is based in Lebanon and, by his own account, has been an active POPlitically incorrect artist for three years and is inspired by Beiruts diversity.

Using readily recognizable Disney princess as subjects, Saint Hoax hopes to convey the anti-domestic violence message across generations and borders.

Disney princesses are the most relatable / influential / idolized characters of all time. We grew up loving them and they become part of our childhood, hence we grew emotionally attached to them. By using them for awareness, I was able to reach audiences from all ages, he told The Daily Star in an email exchange.

The series also includes images in which Disney princesses face unwanted, sexual kisses from their royal fathers. The captions read 46 percent of minors who are raped are the victims of family members: Its never too late to report your attack.

The poignant, if disturbing images have generated widespread attention, with many hailing Saint Hoax for shedding light on the issue of domestic abuse. Still, the artists Facebook page is dotted with messages from detractors who claim the images are sick and a perversion of innocent childhood characters.

Saint Hoax, however, brushed off the criticism.

Domestic violence is far more perverse than my visuals. Its about time that we face these issues without tiptoeing around them.

He admits, however, he was surprised by the magnitude of the response. The project circulated faster than I could imagine.

This is not the first time Saint Hoax has courted controversy. A previous series, titled War Drags You Out, depicts leaders from Osama bin Laden to Barack Obama dressed as flamboyant drag queens.

A new project called Once Upon a War, launched this month, reprises the theme of Disney characters to convey Pro-Palestine messages. In one image, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pounding the lifeless body of Pinocchio, who lies bloodied near a Palestinian flag.

In another, Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni stands over Alice, of Alice in Wonderland fame, with a butchers knife.

It saddens me that people around the world are becoming immune to the pictures of faceless, limbless, hopeless Palestinian children, Saint Hoax told The Daily Star.

For that I decided to recreate the events taking place in Gaza but by using relatable figures that represent childhood. The aim of the posters is to reach out to children all over the world and inform them about what is really happening. We have to start spreading awareness among children because they are the future.

Copyright The Daily Star 2014.