Our Patron - Lady Rabia Abdul-Hakim
Big Draw KY is presented under the Patronage of Lady Rabia Abdul-Hakim, the Cayman Islands' best-loved illustrator and children's author. A living luminary and master storyteller, she is best known as the creator, writer and illustrator of Cayman's first children's media property and book series, Kaa Kaa & Tokyo™.
Lady Rabia risked her life and overcame overwhelming adversity to ensure that her passion for literacy and art would be shared with the world.
Writing and drawing during her childhood in Cayman Brac, Lady Rabia always wanted to use her talent and passion to make children read, laugh and dream. She promised her children that her work would not just be a legacy for them, but for children all over the world.
But her dream would come at a price.
Day after day, she fought violent criticism and physical and mental abuse. But she did not give up. For fifteen years, she did not give in. Eventually, her children were taken from her and kept in another country.
So, what did she do? She travelled across the other side of the world and rescued her six children.
Lady Rabia risked her life and overcame overwhelming adversity to ensure that her passion for literacy and art would be shared with the world.
Writing and drawing during her childhood in Cayman Brac, Lady Rabia always wanted to use her talent and passion to make children read, laugh and dream. She promised her children that her work would not just be a legacy for them, but for children all over the world.
But her dream would come at a price.
Day after day, she fought violent criticism and physical and mental abuse. But she did not give up. For fifteen years, she did not give in. Eventually, her children were taken from her and kept in another country.
So, what did she do? She travelled across the other side of the world and rescued her six children.
"I walked alone through a horrible ordeal, but everyday the characters I had created stayed with me. They cheered me up and egged me on. The rough sketches of my childhood imaginery friends became real and they championed me to be unstoppable. The power of drawing changed my life and I want to use it inspire and empower the masses." - Lady Rabia |
Today...Lady Rabia is CEO of ContessaBlack Entertainment, which creates dynamic multicultural family entertainment properties based on the Caribbean and Middle Eastern cultures.
A member of the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, she was commissioned to rewrite The Biography of the Noble Prophet Mohammad and is also the author of Rising: Powerful Poetry. She has over 19 books forthcoming. A champion of the UN's Women's Empowerment Principles, she recently established Phenom Foundation to promote gender equality, the prevention of violence against women, their economic empowerment and their political participation. Read more about our Patron here |