Saad Hajo

A graduate of the University of Fine Arts in Damascus, Hajo has chosen drawing as a means of intercultural expression, reflecting his own particular humanist view of a society advancing towards technification.

The artist invites us to step off the well-trodden paths and venture into the magical world of caricature. With this artistic discipline he is able to provoke reflection that helps raise awareness, sometimes with tenderness, other times with biting laughter, about power balances that destabilise coexistence on Earth… will it be better on other planets?

Convinced that only humour can save us, the artist presents the exhibition Think outside the box as an exercise in learning critical thinking, as effective as sharpening a pencil.

Artist’s website: saadhajo.com

Career

Saad Hajo is a Syrian-Swedish independent cartoonist, illustrator and animator, born in Damascus in 1968 and resident in Norrköping (Sweden). A member of KRO (Swedish Artists’ Association) and ST mitt (Association of Swedish Illustrators and Graphic Designers), he has worked for more than two decades as an editorial cartoonist and publishes regularly in both Arabic-language magazines and the Swedish press (Folkbladet and Korpilombolo), as well as collaborating with Courrier International (Paris).

Exhibitions and recognition

• 2026 · “Long live satire”, organised by Svenska Tecknare, Stockholm (Sweden)
• 2026 · “President Without Reason” and Without Shame”, Museu Nacional, Damascus (Syria)
• 2024 · “Think outside the box”, Quei15 ARTgallery, Barcelona
• 2023 · “Le sarcasme sort toujours de l’ordinaire”, special guest at the 42nd International Salon of Caricature and Graphic Humour of Saint-Just-le-Martel (France)
• 2022 · “Thinking outside the box”, talk and workshop on creativity at Eskilstuna folkhögskola and Marieborg folkhögskola, Norrköping (Sweden)
• 2022 · Third prize, 9th International Caneva Ride Award (Italy)
• 2015 · EWK Award (Sweden), named after the Swedish political cartoonist Ewert Karlsson