Khadim Ali – Evil Heros

Intro

This activity asks students to consider multiple points of view and the power of images to influence our opinions.

Khadim Ali creates visually intricate works that blend elements from historic Persian texts and poems with his own experiences living in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan and as a refugee coming to Australia. This activity draws upon Khadim Ali's wall mural The Arrival of Demons displayed at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Stages 4-5.

Process

Think of a story or fable which you know well that demonstrates ‘good vs evil’, for example Harry Potter or the Three Little Pigs.
Rewrite the story from the perspective of someone who is depicted as the ‘bad’ personto show them in a new light. Consider the following:
- What might have motivated them to act as they do in the story.
- What do you think the original story might have left out? Do you think they might have a good reason for acting in the way they do?
- Do they really see themselves as ‘bad’ or in the wrong? Do you think the character feels misunderstood or misjudged?
- What would this character think of the heros in the story, how have the ‘good’ character(s) actions affected them?
Create a poster for your misunderstood hero that could help change other peoples’ perspectives of your character. Is there a moment in the story that shows them in the best, most triumphant light?
Share your poster with other people and explain how the character feels and why they have been misunderstood.

You will need

Writing and drawing materials.
Drawing implements (any medium) and drawing paper

Reflection

How did rewriting your character change how you feel about the original story?
Were you able to change other people’s mind about your character?
Think about the perspective news stories are told from: who is telling these stories? Do news stories differ when they are told by different people?
We learn so much from the stories we tell each other. How do we know if a story is true and objective?