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Contents

Authors Preface

07

3. Artists
3.1 eL Seed

98 101 111 117 125 131 135 141 145 149 153 161 169 175
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1.
1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4

Arabic Script & Calligraphy

10 13 15 23 31

3.2 Hest1 3.3

Julien Breton aka Kaalam

Brief History of the Arabic Script Contemporary Arabic Calligraphy

3.4 L'Atlas 3.5 3.6 3.7

Sair 4 aka Puya Bagheri Native & ZenTwO

Two Daughters of the Same Parents

Sun7 aka Jonas Bournat

2.
2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.7

Public Art & Grafti in the Middle East

36

3.8 Sadhu 3.9

Monsieur Cana aka Askar

39 43 49 57 65 73 81 93

3.10 Zepha aka Vincent Abadie Hafez 3.11 LightGraff 3.12 Blouzaat 3.13 Mohammed Ali / Aerosol Arabic -

4.
4.1

Urban Arabic Typography

178 181

aRabIC SCRIpT & CallIgRapHy

Brief History of the Arabic Script

1.2

by Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFars

14

tion has had a long and inuential history in shaping and regulating the visual aspect of Arabic script became an emblem of the Islamic religion, and therefore, its perceived beauty

The rich Arabic calligraphic tradi-

the Arabic script. Originally conceived to represent the holy scriptures of the Koran, the and reproduction became a matter of religious piety. Not only used for representing religious text, its use in profane texts and its function as ornamentation on everyday objects of a holistic life philosophy in which artistic expression plays a vital role. and architecture testies to its special status within the Arab/Islamic cultures. It is a part

1. Prayer inscribed on tiles in a mosque. Title written in Farsi script, prayer in Thuluth script. Iran

15

The Arabic alphabet evolved by rst borrowing from neighboring civilizations and then

developing in its own right as an independent script. With the collective contribution of

many talented individuals and the inuences of various cultures, calligraphy developed into a form of communication that balanced clarity with beauty in an art form that emuse today, has its roots in the rst developed alphabetic writing system invented around netic characters that were easy to learn and adapt to various languages. As traders, the bodied disciplined freedom. The Arabic alphabet, like most alphabetic writing systems in 1300 BCE by the Phoenicians. The Phoenicians developed a simple and limited set of phoPhoenicians managed to spread the alphabet across their trade routes and port cities. The

invention of the alphabet spread westward via the Greeks and eastward via the Aramae-

ans as far as India, and was adopted as a writing system by various Semitic, Indo-European and other languages. The Arabic alphabet, born in Arabia, is the last of the Semitic scripts (c. 500 CE). From its origin on the Arabian Peninsula, the Arabic language spread via the of today. As a language, it has replaced a number of native languages and was adopted by Islamic conquests to neighboring nations, into what constitutes the Arab/Islamic nations non-Arabic languages as a visible cultural allegiance to the Islamic faith. The Arabic lanbecame the supreme artistic achievement of Islamic art.

guage became a unifying cultural force, and its visual representation through calligraphy

aRabIC SCRIpT & CallIgRapHy

Two Daughters of the Same Parents

1.4

Hassan Massoudy

30

comes directly from the heart, the movement of my arm and the heartbeat work together. When I direct the brush, I stop breathing. This also limits the size of the calligraphy: a brushstroke cannot last longer than it takes my heart to beat. So most Arabic calligraphy is

The Arabic calligraphy I do literally

1. Fear is what is imagined by man, and security is what is deemed secure by him. Quote from al-Moutanabbi, , calligraphy on Hassan MassoudY paper

) (.

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limited to a diameter of maybe one, two meters. If the writing becomes any bigger, it has to be constructed and thus it is not calligraphy anymore, but a design. Other limitations writer Marko 93 the only time I did try to do actual grafti I discovered the uidity of stopping a stroke. are the size of the paper and the tools. When I painted a mural with the French grafti the spray can, which suddenly allowed me to do a continues gesture of ve meters before

Arabic calligraphy and grafti are two daughters of the same parents. They live their sep-

arate, independent lives, but they are related in many ways. Obviously both are about the

use of letters and their alphabets, and their center of gravity is the beauty of writing. For both, a letter is more than just a letter and they ll them with emotions. The use of empty space and composition within this space is something else they have in common. The re ink and pen are quite the same. Gestures are also done with the whole body and are per it is like a dance in front of a wall.

semblance of Arabic calligraphy and grafti is most obvious in tags, because here the tools in sync with breathing. The movement of writing grafti leaves the restrictions of the pa-

Arabic calligraphy is the more conservative sister, bound to thousands of years of tradition and knowledge. When I started to do my contemporary calligraphy, there were some who did not like what I did, because I also bent the rules, starting with the colors and freeing

myself from the strict forms of the letters. Over the years my art became more and more even if it is not without rules.

accepted, also by conservative calligraphers. Grafti has more freedom from traditions,

Calligraphy plays a social and political role in society, but grafti does this in a more forceful way. Calligraphers are accepted and integrated in society, whereby grafti writers act against the law; they impose and take over the streets, thus becoming more powerful. This power can be good for our society, with accomplished artists who offer their art for far too little role.
1

free and creative kids expressing themselves in a society where artistic education plays a

pUblIC ART & GRaFFITI In THE mIddlE EaST

Bahrains Calligraphic Messages

2.1

Rana Jarbou

38

the Persian Gulf, stories from the present and past can be found on the walls of its hidden the main roads, only signs and advertisements can be found on the clean, white walls.

In this small desert kingdom in

village communities which highlight an obvious territorial divide in its urban space. On At times, angry cries are written on these walls, though they are instantly painted over.
1

1. After you, let dust cover this world , unknown artist, Abu Saiba, Sar, Bahrain, 2008 2. Karbala, you are still an agony and scourge , unknown artist, Abu Saiba, Bahrain, 2008 3. There is no day like your day, O Aba Abdullah , unknown artist, Abu Saiba, Bahrain, 2008 4. O Hussain , unknown artist, Abu Saiba, Bahrain, 2008

39

These expressions have found a temporary medium for venting social outrage, which is in discourse. Ultimately these expressions cannot be subdued as they are driven back to their sources, only to be uttered time and again.

constant ux. This medium then becomes a silenced narrative of a vital and much-needed

In the closed off village communities, the expressions on the walls are left uncensored, reaching their different audiences despite the intention of some to address the authorities. according to their different motives. Religious scriptures, aphorisms and historic references ries from Karbala, to idols in Iran. A sense of belonging is manifested in these calligraphic writings, as grafti writers reveal their identities and mark their existence through them. The letters take on human characteristics, as grafti shapes and fonts are conceptualized are written in colorful calligraphy. Inuences range from the resistance in Lebanon, to sto-

There is an abundance of glorications of Hussain, the martyr of martyrs and symbol of the Shiite identity and its afliations, which continue to inspire their present day resistance ly painted in different decorative forms.

resistance, and commemorations of the battle of Karbala in the villages. These emphasize and struggles. Their ultimate sacrice for the ultimate cause, human dignity, is beautiful-

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1 3 2

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PUblIC ART & GRaFFITI In THE MIddlE EaST CallIgRapHIC SHOp SIgnS

Gaza has witnessed strong political and religious local grafti painted by Palestinian ghters and residents. No Western grafti art is present, since it is practically impossible for a foreign artist to enter Gaza. Before the withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip, grafti artists were either ghters themselves or often accompanied by Palestinian ghters, who guarded them from the Israeli soldiers.

The popularity of this medium of communication, which transformed walls into a chan-

nel no less important than newspapers, was due to the trust and condence that people

put in grafti. Certain factors contributed to the popularity of some locations among grafti artists. Typically, the safest regions gave them more freedom to work. However, other occupiers headquarters, army posts or even their vehicles. Sometimes certain shops were less secure locations were also explored; depending on the occasion, artists would paint on painted to warn their owners against violating directives. Another preferred location for

artists are the populated areas, as these guarantee a wider reach. Most artists are excited when groups gather around them to see the work evolving into a beautiful artistic piece, and they can instantly grasp the reception of their work. An additional appeal of grafti tive expression to them.

to artists is the fact that it is a collective work, which opens up more possibilities for crea-

Artists are able to express the populations concerns, worries and even joys, while transforming blocks of concrete into works of art. Since Palestinian grafti is intended to be seen
1 2 3

60

by all layers of society, its language, design and content must be clear,

simple and legible, which naturally guarantees its increasing popularity. The Israeli occupiers as well as the Palestinian factions themselves at-

1. We will never forget written on a wall, part of a long text, Askar refugee camp, Nablus, Palestine, 2007 2. The martyr Mouhamad al-Asfar ,a teenager standing in front of a stencil of his dead brother, Askar refugee camp, Nablus, Palestine, 2007 3. Hanzala gure sprayed looking at the word Palestine , Askar refugee camp, Nablus, Palestine, 2007 4. Reem Al Riyasheh , name of a female suicide bomber painted by a pro-Hamas militant group, Gaza City, Palestine, 2004

tempted to take control of grafti many times and for many different reasons. The Oslo Peace Process went along with municipal clean up of fear of idolization.2 But whitewashed walls were usually quickly replaced by newly painted grafti. After Hamas took control of the Gaza non-political messages. Strip, however, Fatah could only keep their presence on the walls with attempts by Fatah, and martyr portraits were banned by Hamas out

Grafti in the West Bank reects both the local and the international grafti scene. Palestinian residents and renowned grafti artists from around the globe intervene on the barrier wall and in the alleys. However, there is widespread opposition from the Palestinian art community as well as the general Palestinian public to painting the wall. For Palrenders it acceptable. They argue that the wall should instead be left unestinians, the grafti by international artists beauties the barrier and touched as an eyesore.3 Artists are only able to write on the Palestinian

side of the barrier. On the Israeli side this is impossible, as it is heavily do patrols along the Palestinian side as well, but only occasionally stop grafti artists.

barricaded by barbed wire and is under constant patrol. Israeli soldiers

Several grafti workshops and mural projects are regularly organized for children and young artists in refugee camps with the help of UNERWA and other organizations. International and local grafti artists organize the events with a school or institution in the refugee camp and collabothe children express their pain and feelings through drawings and express their national Palestinian identity. rate with UNERWA to carry out the workshops. They are aimed to help

1.&2. Gaza Grafti, Mia Grndahl, The American University in Cairo Press 3. The Aesthetics of Space: West Bank Grafti and Global Artists, Hugh Lovatt

PUblIC ART & GRaFFITI In THE MIddlE EaST palESTInIan gRaFFITI

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1. Paste up by Swoon, opposite Aida refugee camp, 2007. The image of a woman contains a quote about how, by matching the resonant frequency of any structure, it is possible to bring it down without using so much force. The spot was stained by a protest re because it was there that a 17 year old boy climbed the wall to hang a Palestinian ag. He was imprisoned for 8 years for this simple act. , West Bank, 2007 2. BanksY 3. BanksY , Bethlehem, 2007

is a London-based freelance journalist and photographer who has published in The Guardian, The Independent and elsewhere. He recently published the book in Palestine about the protest art on the Against the Wall: the art of resistance West Bank Barrier. He has worked and traveled extensively in the Middle East.

. WILLIam PaRRy

Against the Wall: the art of resistance

in Palestine , published by PlutoPress ISBN 978-0-7453-2917-8

PUblIC ART & GRaFFITI In THE MIddlE EaST THE ART OF RESISTanCE

71

PUblIC ART & GRaFFITI In THE MIddlE EaST

Beiruts Grafti Writing & Street Art

2.7

Pascal Zoghbi

80

ic and social situation in Lebanon, grafti is spreading and voicing the pain of the peomostly covered with urban writings and drawings. During the last thirty years, most of

Due to the poor political, econom-

ple. The pierced city walls which resisted all the bombardments of the civil war are now the urban grafti interventions were political and sectarian. The voices of the Lebanese

1. Warning: the Ministry of Health warns that thinking leads to dangerous & fatal diseases , unknown artist, Hamra, Beirut, Lebanon 2. View of downtown Beirut from the sea bay promenade

81

people were not manifested on the streets; instead, the slogans of the political leaders covmedium to spread their slogans and propaganda. Party members and supporters sprayed stencils, which they used to mark territories in Beirut. The icons created an encoded map of Beirut and towns all over Lebanon.

ered the walls. Lebanese, Palestinian ghters and Syrian soldiers used grafti as the main the political partys words and sentences as well. Each party had its own logo or icon as

By the end of the 90s and the start of the new millennium, around ten years after the end

of the Lebanese civil war, people started ignoring the political writings on the roads and

they went unnoticed. In conjunction to that, artistic paintings were starting to emerge on the streets and gaining the curiosity and attention of the Lebanese people. The political battles in the streets transformed into a war throughout the media: in newspapers, on televisions and billboards. The ghters liberated the walls from their political slogans and parallel to that, the Lebanese grafti and Hip Hop underground movement started to degrafti is becoming increasingly present on the streets of Beirut.

velop. Since then, Lebanese Arabic rap and Hip Hop culture has been growing and artistic

When Lebanese grafti crews started painting in Beirut, they rst chose hidden walls and surfaces in old, neglected houses or factories and empty parking lots. These places were their practice grounds for experimentation and development of their skills and styles. As

they became more condent of their writings and remained unrestricted by the police,

they took over the walls of the main highways in Beirut. In Lebanon grafti is not yet

seen as vandalism or as a felony. Even though it is not a legal act, as long as the message of the grafti does not imply any direct political meaning, grafti artists are usually not bothered when spraying on walls, even in broad daylight.

The grafti scene in Beirut is still in its preliminary phase. As with most Lebanese design The tags and drawings were done in English and French instead of Arabic, and the letters
1

styles and trends, the rst Lebanese grafti was heavily inuenced by Western grafti. had no link to Arabic calligraphy whatsoever. Among others, European grafti artists like

Prime and Fabu from France and Sens from Germany visited Beirut and inuenced the

104

1. My country , eL Seed, table, acrylic paint, 8080 cm, 2009 2. Have a seat , eL Seed, chair, acrylic on canvas, 2009 3. Crossed culture , eL Seed, spray paint on canvas, 3 pieces 12030 cm, 2010 4. "I am Arab", eL Seed, acrylic on canvas, 16070 cm, 2010 , eL Seed, spray paint 5. My identity and acrylic on canvas, 160100 cm, 2010 6. I need my history (Pieces of Identity), eL Seed, spray paint and acrylic on wood, 10070 cm, 2010

otherwise diverse world, it has effectively shut up and shut down expressions of difference. Because of this, it has been my conscious choice to paint solely in classical Arabic, although I do drop an occasional phrase in English or French. This is a statement against the globalized monoculture. Furthermore, Arabic grafti serves to carry the traditions of adolescent searching for an authentic voice in order to step out from under the shadow

the particularly hegemonic role of language and the part it inevitably plays in spreading Arabic and Islamic art whilst stepping outside the box of traditionalism. Much like a young of his or her parents, Arabic grafti is struggling to afrm a new generation of identities between tradition and traditionalism, I personally try to nurture the religious and cul-

which are amalgams of modern and traditional paradigms. Extrapolating the difference tural traditions of my heritage while composing them alongside my modern realities. As an artist, I believe it is my duty to be culture creative and nd methods through which to keep my heritage alive.

The proverbial traditions which inspire and shape Arabic grafti stem from the funda-

mental principles of Islam. This becomes all the more important when the message aims to raise awareness about sensitive issues and bring about a higher level of consciousness. and encourage critical reection. Furthermore, the artist has a responsibility to live the In my view, artists have a social responsibility to push boundaries, question the status quo message he or she is transmitting, as it is an Islamic principle in and of itself. Communi-

tarian art, in which one does not tag a name but rather a shared message, means a certain denial of ownership. I do not write my name, and therefore I do not claim territory when I paint, but rather I offer something back. The wall becomes the primary medium through which one communicates with others and the dimension of community is thus brought to

the fore because the mural is offered freely to the public. Due to this, the piece no longer be-

longs to me, but to the community in which it was conceived. Nourished by Islamic values, art emanating from Islamic communities must therefore carry some notion of brotherhood and sisterhood, free of the negative competition which so often denes our lives today.
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aRTISTS El SEEd

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1. Respect , Arabic 3-D calligraphy, Julien Breton, 2010 2. Art , Arabic 3-D calligraphy, model by Grafti Technica, Julien Breton, 2010 3. Kaalam vs Grafti Technica, 3-D model by Grafti Technica, graftitechnica.com, Julien Breton, 2010 4. Y sincerely believes , Julien Breton, abstract light calligraphy without digital manipulation, Le Cellier, 2009

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aRTISTS JUlIEn BRETOn aka KAalam

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1. LATLAS, paste up on advertising billboard, Blvd. de la villette, Paris 2004 2. LATLAS, painting on wall, Butte aux cailles, Paris 2006 3. LATLAS in action, Rue st Maur, Paris, 2005 Following pages 128 & 129:
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LATLAS, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 2005

aRTISTS laTlaS

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aRTISTS

Blouzaat

3.12

168

media project, started by a group of artists from Jordan and Germany. Their frustration with the utter lack of an urban art scene in Amman provoked them to contemplate an alternative artistic culture through which artists can experiment freely and share experiences, exploring urban art and design through canvas, walls, silk-screen, clothing, and books. Their aim is not only to explore the artistic scene in the area, but also to introduce urban art by tapping into culture, music, and any other form of self-expression, building a new kind of creative community. 

Blouzaat is a cross-cultural, cross-

1. Typism & Akut, Arabic calligraphy by Hussein Al-Azaat, mixed media on canvas, 16090 cm, Khuraif exhibition, Weimar, Germany, 2008 2. Storytelling , TYPISM, mixed media on canvas, 6060 cm, Khuraif exhibition, Weimar, Germany, 2008

169

Ahmad Sabbagh studied graphic design at the Applied Science University and graduated in em, Sabbagh created Blouzaat. Experimenting with Arabic typography, Sabbagh aims to introduce a new visual language as well as facilitate the positioning of Arabic typography graphy and Arabic type. 

Ahmad Sabbagh, born 1980 in Amman, Jordan.

2002. After training for ve years with the artists Ahmad Shawish and Husni Abu Krayy-

in an art form, working on a style that is different than the common practices of calli-

Typsim started experimenting with street art in 2004 after he met Akut. To merge different techniques such as conventional graphic design, silk-screen printing and urban techniques is his passion. He studied visual communication at the Bauhaus University in Weimar, GerTypsim moved to Jordan in 2005 and became art director of Blouzaat. 

Typism aka Michael Schinkthe, born in 1978 in Germany.

many. Attracted by the experimental promise of the urban scene and identity of Amman,

In 1999 Akut, Case, Tasso and Rusk formed the grafti crew Maclaim. In 2004 Akut and Hera merged to become Herakut and the duo developed a unique and world renowned style. Akut studied visual communication at the Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany. It is there that Typism and Akut joined to work out different ideas. In 2007 Typism and Akut went to Jordan to start up Blouzaat.

Akut aka Falk Lehmann, born in 1977 in Germany.

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1. Shaeed , Zakaria Ahmed El akkaf, Morroco 2. Stilbaz , KRYS2LOOPER, Turkey 3. Art Reoriente , Pascal Zoghbi, Beirut 4. Mohamed Abdel Aziz, Egypt
11 12

11. Ambient Mosque , Melih Kesmen, Styleislam, Germany 12. 29letters , Pascal Zoghbi, Lebanon 13. styleislam , Melih Kesmen, Styleislam, Germany 14. Mustaqbali , Pascal Zoghbi, Lebanon 15. Mohamed Abdel Aziz, Egypt 16. Wajda , 3-D grafti style, Zakaria Ahmed El akkaf, Oujda, Morocco

5. Sabr , Qasim Arif, Pakistan & Holland 6. Salam , Melih Kesmen, Styleislam, Germany 7. Keep it Halal , Qasim Arif, Pakistan & Holland 8. Interruptions , Hadi Alaeddin, Jordan 9. Elwarshe , Mothanna Hussein, Jordan 10. Lahore , Qasim Arif, Pakistan / Holland

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URban ARabIC TypOgRapHy & DESIgn

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