Comic art · Writing · Visual ethnography
Maya El Helou
A queer, non-binary multidisciplinary comic artist, writer, researcher, and visual ethnographer. Ph.D. in Anthropology and Sexual Diversity, University of Toronto; M.A. in Gender Studies, American University in Cairo.
Work that bridges anthropology, feminist and queer theory, and experimental comics — translating complex theoretical ideas into accessible visual language.
Where to start
Three ways in
Work
Comic art and visual ethnography, performance, and awards.
Browse the work →Amber Writing Studio
Coaching, dissertation and thesis support, and writing-hygiene consults — built on the idea that there are no universal rules. Sliding scale.
Enter Amber →Facilitation & Talks
Sketching the Social, The Queer Art of Failing to Write, Scribbling Academia, and other programs built with galleries and universities.
See the programs →“Not everyone is productive in the morning, Betty.”
Amber Writing Studio began with a five-page comic about my own history with writing, and the events that shaped it. It is still the clearest statement of how the practice works.