Learning the true essentials of the german language—From “Besserwisser” to “Schnapsidee”

After experimental musician and visual artist Mazen Kerbaj moved with his family from Beirut to Berlin, he found himself confronted with a new language, a new culture. He decided to learn German in his very own way: one new word per day, illustrated with a related self-portrait. The resulting 365 drawings are framed by Arabic, English and German words, making the book a language- learning tool—albeit an unconventional one—but also an open diary that lets us in the intimacy of the artist’s day- to-day life. Day after day, word after word, we follow Mazen Kerbaj through his learning process, getting to know his family, his friends, his passions, his habits, and even his political opinions.

The drawings are often funny, but also sad and touching at times; they rarely simply illustrate the words, but rather answer them with Kerbaj’s signature satirical counterpoints, ultimately reiterating the story of a Middle Eastern artist finding his way through the German language and its peculiarities.