Semarang:An artistic poster by Jordanian designer and filmmaker Firas Khafash, titled "Born of the Burden," has been selected for the 2026 Semarang International Art and Design Festival. The poster will represent Jordan at the "City of Tomorrow" exhibition hosted by Binus University in Semarang, Indonesia.
According to Jordan News Agency, the work was chosen in the festival's artistic poster category, which featured designers and creative talents from Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Arab world. The international event served as a platform for showcasing creative experiences and exchanging artistic and design perspectives.
Carrying Jordan's name at the exhibition, the poster explores human suffering associated with forced displacement and refuge-seeking. It depicts a cracked stone wall engraved with scenes of journeys of exile and displacement, with a green plant emerging from its center. This imagery symbolizes hope emerging from hardship and the human capacity to overcome adversity and aspire to a better future.
The festival's organizers recognized Khafash with an official certificate of participation, signed by the Head of the Visual Design Department at Binus University and the festival committee chairman, in honor of his work's selection for the international exhibition.
This accomplishment adds to Khafash's series of international appearances and successes this year. The same poster was shortlisted for the international Poster Stellars competition in the United States and was exhibited at the Busan International Eco Environmental Art Festival in South Korea.
In addition to his design work, Khafash's animated short film "Heir of the Forgotten Forest" was selected for the official competition of the Nineveh International Film Festival and was screened in New York through the NewFilmmakers program. It received several awards at independent international film festivals.
Khafash expressed pride in representing Jordan at international artistic events, stating that such participation showcases Jordanian talents and conveys artistic and humanitarian messages to worldwide audiences.
Firas Samer Khafash, a Jordanian designer, creative director, and animation filmmaker with over 23 years of professional experience, is also the founder of the "Sketchat Mukhattat" YouTube channel, featuring Arabic animated drawings and sketches. His participation in the festival highlights the diversity and humanitarian focus of Jordan's creative scene on the global stage.