Arabic Graffiti in Lebanon and the Arab World

I gave a lecture about Arabic graffiti in Lebanon and the Arab Worldon the 18th of November at Notre Dame University part of the City Street Conference.

Below is the abstract and the topics discussed in the lecture.

ABSTRACT:
Though the graffiti scene in the Arab world is still young, over the past few years it quickly took over the streets of its cities. Due to the bad political, economical and social situation in Lebanon and Palestine, the graffiti art is spreading rapidly and voicing out the pain of its people. In other Arabic nations like Jordan, Egypt, Syria, etc… the underground movement is still very shy and not as present due to the normal life situation and the ability for police to stop any graffiti. In Lebanon and Palestine, graffiti is not yet seen as vandalism and against the law. As long as the message does not imply any direct political meaning, then the police will not stop you, even in broad daylight.

أبو الزلوف, Karantina, Beirut.

The presentation will address the difference between political street writing and artistic graffiti, analyze the urban spaces chosen by the graffiti artist, and show how graffiti changes the environment of a certain space. Analyzing the written graffiti words or sentences and tracing back the political, economical or social reasons behind them, lends the art piece a different perspective. The process of creating and producing a graffiti art piece will be also dissected into phases at the end of the presentation.

Conference Topic: Urban Arabic Graffiti
Keywords: Arabic Vernacular, cultural expressions and manifestations, tags and graffiti, social, ghettos, confessions and beliefs

فن شارع, Karantina, Beirut.

INTRODUCTION

Graffiti as defined by the Oxford dictionary is: “writings or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place.” The origin of the word graffiti comes from the Italian word graffito, which means scratch. On the other hand, tags are a particular kind of graffiti in which the artist writes his/her own name. A tag can be either a quick-sprayed signature or a delicate graffiti art piece by itself. Hasan Masoudi, a contemporary Arabic calligrapher, writes about tags as impulsive fast sprayed or brush strokes. Tags are synonymous with rapidity, whetted and fluent.


Karantina, Beirut.

The mainstream graffiti found in public places can be purely typographical, character and/or icon drawings, or a mixture of the previous. They are based on typography and complex geometric structures. Letter shapes intertwine and their outlines merge together. Letters merge with geometric shapes and icons, while other letters are transformed into abstract figures. Graffiti is street art; it is part of the underground cultural scene.


“BEIRUT 961 UNDERGROUND”, Gemeyzé, Beirut.

“Street Art”, Karantina, Beirut.

Old hand drawn shop signs are also considered as graffiti. Graffiti can be commissioned by a client to be drawn by an artist on a certain wall, or it can be drawn illegally in public places normally at night.

[1] ARABIC GRAFFITI IN LEBANON

Most of the urban graffiti in Lebanon during the last 30 years was political or sectarian. The voice of the Lebanese people was not manifested in the street writings; instead, the slogans of the political leaders were covering all the walls. Graffiti by nature is an underground act originated from the people to voice out their worries and needs, to rebel against a situation, or to carry a cause. Since 2005 onwards, the number of political writings on the roads started decreasing since the politicians took over the billboards and the TV stations. At the same time, the graffiti and rap underground movement’s influence on the Arabic artists was increasing. Since then, the artistic underground graffiti art became more present on the streets of Beirut, and the uprising of small Arabic rap and hip hop bands followed. Hip Hop and graffiti art go together, and most of the Lebanese Arabic Hip Hop bands are also graffiti artists.

Karantina, Beirut.

أجمل بلد, Karantina, Beirut.

أشكماند, Jisr Al Basha – Karantina Highway, Beirut.

هيب هوب, Jisr Al Basha – Karantina Highway, Beirut.

إهانة حرفية, Jisr Al Basha – Karantina Highway, Beirut.

مدمن بس مش مجرم, Jisr Al Basha – Karantina Highway, Beirut.

شعب نعسان, Jisr Al Basha – Karantina Highway, Beirut.

بيروت ما بتموت, Jisr Al Basha – Karantina Highway, Beirut.

موتك سلامك, Jisr Al Basha – Karantina Highway, Beirut.

غزة في قلبي, Jisr Al Basha – Karantina Highway, Beirut.

Jisr Al Basha – Karantina Highway, Beirut.

When Lebanese graffiti groups started drawing in Lebanon, they first chose hidden walls and surfaces in old neglected factories or train stations. These places were their practice ground. They are hidden from the public view, and the law cannot spot them in action. When the Lebanese graffiti artists got more confident of their writings and they went unrestricted by the police, they took over the walls around main highways and old train stations. There are several graffiti groups nowadays in Lebanon, and it seems like each group took over a certain area as his own to tag and draw on it. The most present graffiti areas in Beirut are the “Naher Al Mot” highways, Karantina-Hazmiyé highway, the seaside road from Antelias to Beirut, Monot side alleys, Gemeyzé side roads, Marina in Dbayé, Hamra side streets, Bliss Street and other places.

The most known graffiti groups in Lebanon are Ashekman, Rek, Katiba Khamsa and P+G Group. Ashekman and Katiba Khamsa are also Arabic rap artists.

جوانح, Jasr Al Waté, near BAC, Beirut.

<em Jasr Al Waté, near BAC, Beirut.

Before the underground graffiti started in Lebanon, graffiti was always present in the calligraphic writings on the trucks and shop signs (not forgetting the previously mentioned political sprayed writings that existed during and after the civil war). The calligraphy work done on the trucks with vernacular Lebanese sayings and icons are a unique aspect. The Arabic calligraphy is a flowing expressive writing, and it lends that unique Arabic oriental characteristic to wherever place or item it is applied on.

Dora Sea Road – Karantina Highway, Beirut.

During the last few years, several Arabic graffiti workshops took place in Lebanon. Two workshops one in Tripoli in November 2006 and another in Beirut November 2008 were the most prominent. A five-day workshop entitled “Spray Can Art, Culture is Dialog – Graffiti Workshop for young local artists” was given by the German graffiti artist Claudia Walde in collaboration with “The German Dialog Centre / Tripoli” and the “Goethe Institue” on the 29th of November 2006.

Claude introduced the participants to the techniques, cultural history and social relevance of Graffiti art in the first day. The following two days were drawing and sketching for the young artists to express their thoughts on paper. During the last two days the workshop participants created graffiti on a public wall “Mal’ab al-Muharram, Bahsas” in Tripoli. The theme of the joint artwork was “Culture is dialog”.

The other workshop was given by “STONE” (Don Karl) in collaboration with “Goethe Institut” and “SoundBomb” and it was held at Zico House. It was a three-day workshop. The first day STONE gave presentations about graffiti. Later, people started thinking of the graffiti they wanted to make and proceeded with sketching and drawing what will become the graffiti artworks that are now present on the road from “Mat7af” to “Karantina” facing the “Peugeot” showroom.
Some artists made delicate tags while others created graffiti with strong messages concerning the Lebanese political or social problems. As long as the artworks did not mention or attack any political party leader, the Lebanese police did not have a problem with the artists; they even enjoyed watching the process.

After both workshops, new paintings from local graffiti artists started appearing on the walls long after the workshop was over. Graffiti is a street art with a social integration with the urban life of the people.

Hamra, Beirut.

حائط ذو شعارات فنية, Hamra, Beirut.

Bliss, Beirut.

نحنا معك, Bliss,Beirut.

بوس الواوا, Bliss,Beirut.

تعي ع قلبي, Bliss, Beirut.

شرشور عميتني بالشعارات السياسية, AUB wall, Bliss, Beirut.

مجنون في بيروت , AUB wall, Bliss, Beirut.

عم بتعيش حلمك؟, AUB wall, Bliss, Beirut.

Bliss, Beirut

يا ست الدنيا يا بيروت , Bliss, Beirut.

Hamra-Bliss Road, Beirut.

يا شارع الحمرا يا شارع الألوان, Hamra, Beirut.

غرافيتي من بيروت, Hamra, Beirut.

[2] ARABIC GRAFFITI IN PALESTINE

The graffiti writing grew out increasingly throughout the Intifada, since it was the quickest method to spread out the news of the Intifada. It was employed by all the Palestinian factions without exception. In the beginning it was limited to quick sketches gradually evolving into a beautiful artistic form.

Graffiti in Palestine, which is mostly expressionist drawings dealing with the population’s struggle and pain, is strongly present on the Gaza wall. Various drawings can be seen symbolizing holiday wishes such as during Ramadan, celebrations of Palestinian organizations’ activities and martyrs’ eulogies. The expressions were of various styles: oratory, poetical, or even in zajal form, not excluding religious expressions, and were predominantly colored red and black.

“Free Marwan”, Israeli-Palestinian Wall.

The popularity of this communication medium, which transformed a wall into a channel not less important than newspapers, was due to the confidence that people attributed to graffiti. Certain factors contributed to the popularity of some locations among graffiti artists more than others. Typically, the safest regions gave them more freedom for work. The graffiti painting would be conducted by groups; people to paint and others to guard. However, other less secure locations were explored; depending on the occasion, artists would paint on occupant’s headquarters, army posts or even their vehicles. Sometimes even on certain shops to warn their owners for violating directives. Another preferred location for artists would be the populated areas, as these would guarantee a wider reach.

Happy childish figures, Israeli-Palestinian Wall.

The text below expresses the thought of active Palestinian graffiti artist:

Several expressionists believe that the graffiti is quite an important, modern and cultural tool.

Most agree that graffiti is the quickest and best method for directly communicating with the public; it allows live interaction with the people as they do not need to go into a gallery to appreciate the work.

Most artists are excited when groups gather around them to see the work evolving into beautiful artistic piece, and they can instantly grasp the feedback of the population to their work. An additional appeal of graffiti to artists is the fact that it is a collective work, which opens up more creative expression for them.

Finally, artists are able to express the population’s concerns, worries and even joys, while transforming blocks of concrete into works of art. Since the graffiti is intended to be seen by all layers of society, its language, design and content must be clear, simple and legible; which, naturally, guarantees its increasing popularity.

“I am a Berliner”, Israeli-Palestinian Wall.

There are several international graffiti artists who have visited Palestine or Israel especially to make their graffiti on the Wall and express their thoughts about the crisis between the two nations. In August 2005, Banksy, a quasi-anonymous British graffiti artist, painted nine images on the Israeli West Bank barrier, including an image of a ladder going up and over the wall and an image of children digging a hole through the wall. Besides international acclaimed graffiti artists drawing in Palestine, there was a number of graffiti workshops happening for children and young artists organized by the UNERWA. The workshops were aimed to make the children and the young artists to express their pain and feelings through the drawings.

“Flying over the wall”, Israeli-Palestinian Wall.

[3] ARABIC GRAFFITI IN JORDAN, EGYPT & OTHER ARAB NATIONS

The graffiti scene in other Arabic nations besides Lebanon and Palestine is very shy. Part of it is due to the fact that most Arab nations have quasi-dictatorship political systems and the people are afraid to express their thoughts publicly, and the fact that they do not have any underground cultural movements. Another reason might be that Lebanon and Palestine are nations with chaotic, unstable political, economical and social environments that the artists took to the streets to express their frustrations.

In Jordan there is one young graffiti artist named ARO who is tagging his name all over the capital Amman in different styles. There are not yet any social or political graffiti present there. In the coming years when the underground movement is more mature and more graffiti groups start tagging the city, it is probable that Amman will witness a true graffiti scene.

“ARO”, Amman, Jordan.

In Egypt the graffiti scene is likewise. Few stencil graffiti can be found in Cairo. Some collages can be seen in Alexandria. Usually, the Graffiti is done on the old ruined walls in the streets. Most of the questions or imagery shown are of social context and not of political nature. It just makes people think and wonder about the new graphics on the old ruined wall towards which they probably would never have glanced.

“Man with a camera”, Alexandria, Cairo.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Since Arabic graffiti is still new in the Arab nations, there are no books published about this topic. All the information present in this paper are form my own research and the help of design colleagues from other Arabic nations beside Lebanon. I would like to thank Mr. Hasan Abou Afash for giving me information about the graffiti scene in Palestine. Thanks for Mr. Muhammad Saleh who informed me about the graffiti scene in Jordan. Thanks for Ganzeer and Amr Ali from Egypt. Thanks for German graffiti artist Claudia Walde and Don Karl for providing me with information about the graffiti workshops that took place in Lebanon. Finally, I would like to thank my friend Naim Frewat for helping me translate articles from Arabic to English, and for proof-reading the paper.

REFERENCES

Books:
[1] Dr. Moussa Ali Taleb, The Palestinian – Israeli Conflict in the Media.
[2] DropDrop, The Book of Tags, Kitchen 93, 2005.

[3] Palestinian Graffii Artists:
Fayez Al Sersawi, Samir Al Hallak, Rima Al Zain, Maha Al Daya, Hazem Harb.

[4] Website:
www.goethe.de
www.pelistia.net
www.wikipedia.org/
www.banksy.co.uk
www.madc.tv
www.fromheretofame.com
www.thebookoftags.com
www.29letters.com

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