About
About
Short bio
Maya El Helou is a queer, non-binary multidisciplinary comic artist, writer, and visual ethnographer. Their work bridges anthropology, feminist and queer theory, and experimental comics, translating complex theoretical ideas into accessible visual language. Their practice combines ethnography, humour, and visual storytelling across print, digital, and performance formats.
Long bio
Maya El Helou is a queer, non-binary multidisciplinary and multimodal comic artist and writer. They hold a PhD in Anthropology and Sexual Diversity Studies, an MA in Gender and Women's Studies, and a BA in Arts. Their dissertation received the Magda Noweihi Award for Best Dissertation in 2015. In 2017, they were longlisted for the Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards (People Award) for their work on the Feminist Killjoy social media page.
The Feminist Killjoy page translates feminist and queer theory into accessible, pop-inflected visual language by repurposing and producing comic-style content that challenges patriarchy through humour and sharp, punchy comebacks. The project has been featured in multiple articles.
Between 2018 and 2025, El Helou developed a comic-based ethnographic book alongside their doctoral research. In 2026, after completing their dissertation, they returned to public-facing art, participating in a three-month workshop that culminated in Qissa, where they performed an experimental comic art stand-up set blending ethnography, visual storytelling, and live comedic narration.
Their comics appear in Untold Mag ↗
In conversation
This Death Is Not One
Another Story Bookshop's Toronto launch of This Death Is Not One by Jasbir K. Puar and Nasser Abourahme, with drawings by Xaytun Ennasr and edited by Adam HajYahia — Puar in conversation with Maya El Helou.