Graffiti and Street Art in Amman, Jordan

Amman’s growing graffiti and street art scene began in the mid-2000s. It has grown exponentially in the past five years. This vibrant urban art scene has grown as a result of the city’s desire for a new way of interacting with public space. Pandazilla, the first and only street art shop in Jordan, is one of many new businesses that have emerged to promote this art form. Pandazilla not only carries a large inventory of spray paint but is also committed in supporting local artists.

Suhaib Attar

Suhaib Attar, a Jordanian street artist, has transformed a freight container in to a vibrant mural by using graffiti. This project is part Jordan’s efforts in improving the quality of life of local residents by bringing art to the public realm. This is particularly important because Jordan is one the poorest countries when it comes access to clean water. Suhaib Attar’s murals are beautiful pieces of art that will stand for a long time.

The graffiti community in Jordan’s capital, Amman, is small. There are perhaps only ten or so active graffiti artists in the capital, but they’ve been busy painting on the walls of the city center. They have challenged conventions and stayed away from politics and religion in their work. In order to stay relevant in the city, graffiti artists in Jordan must be politically and religiously neutral.

Despite the challenges facing Jordan’s youth, the street art scene has a bright future. Youth are driving the movement forward, and while there’s no centralized community, there’s no lack of exposure in the country. Youth participation in the art scene is growing steadily every year. Jordan is still in its infancy, and street art is only just beginning to thrive. The public has been very supportive of this new approach to art.

Laila Ajjawi

Laila Ajjawi is a Jordanian graffiti artist. She was born in a Palestinian refugee camp just outside of Irbid. Her work highlights the discrimination women and refugees face in their countries of residence. Ajjawi’s work was featured in the New York Times in 2009.

Ajjawi works as a graffiti artist and also with local police officers. Her work is often photographed by the police, who sometimes request her assistance. Laila’s most popular mural is Peace and Tolerance, a story she has created in response to a recent police raid. The mural depicts two women and a man, and was initially criticized by the Irbid municipality.

Ajjawi showed her Women on Walls work in Tunisia in March 2015. Later that year, Ajjawi painted a mural for Lina Khalifeh’s women only martial arts school in Cairo. Her work has attracted international attention and she now has over 7,000 Facebook fans. She is currently working on a project that will bring a feminist perspective into graffiti.

Laila Ajjawi’s current home is a seven hundred-square-foot concrete home. She was born three blocks from her current residence. Her parents rented a one-room house and later built their own house, on the site where her paternal grandparents had settled tents during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. The refugees were displaced from Palestine. Although some have made it to Jordan, Laila continues to struggle.

The Jordanian government doesn’t have an equal sex policy. Women still face social barriers. Jordan has a low female participation rate and a low representation in its workforce. The government also subsidizes public services for Jordanian citizens. However, non-citizens are prohibited from many jobs and professions. They must also apply for residency permits to be able to use public services. Jordan has a high level of gender-based violence. Rapists and abusers can escape punishment by marrying their victims.

Bo Jordan

Bo Jordan’s new exhibit, Sophisticated Graffiti, features his works. The artist uses hands, rather than brushes, to paint his murals. His new exhibit, Sophisticated Graffiti 2: Using Your Hands to Paint Wall Art, will be on display at the Highland Park Public Library Meeting Room. Bo Jordan’s acrylic and oil paintings are featured in the exhibit. The technique is hands-on, so the public is encouraged and encouraged to participate in it.

Michael Jordan was a standout in college basketball, earning four All-American honors. He was also the Big Ten champion and two conference runners-up. His career record is 88-13. He changed his training regimen during his last season. This led to nagging injuries that prevented him from practicing and competing in matches. As a result, he had only nine minutes of live wrestling before he was eliminated from the NCAA championships.

Everybody is born an artist workshops

For the third year in a row, everybody is welcome at Everybody is Born an Artist workshops in Amman, Jordan. These workshops are open to all who wish to express themselves creatively and improve their art skills. These workshops are held during Amman Design Week. The workshops are intended to educate and encourage the community about art and design and to promote the notion that everyone is an artist.

One workshop, held at the Jacaranda Images gallery, offered aspiring artists a hands-on collage workshop. They were encouraged to create an artwork celebrating the creative process. The event was also part a solo exhibition by Ahmed El Khalidi that explored the differences between Australia and Jordan. The exhibition will continue through May 17th. Participants were encouraged create original and creative tags to create their own personal home on paper.

Syrian refugees

Many people around the globe are joining forces to show solidarity with the Syrian people through the creation of artwork. More than 30 countries, including Jordan, will hold vigils for Syrian refugees this Friday. There will also be vigils in refugee camps, host communities, and major cities around the world, including in the Sudan, DRC, and Mexico. Here are some examples graffiti that was created to support Syrian refugees:

Fintan Magee created two drawings, one of a girl and one of a boy. They depict the lives that Syrian refugees. This refugee was displaced from her home country, and she is currently living in a camp in Jordan with her three brothers. She is currently in the “unaccompanied children” section of camp. This is for unaccompanied minors, or children without other family members. The refugee camp has a special section for girls.

Pejac, an artist from Spain, also created works in Jordan. As part of a three month project, he created murals depicting Syrian refugees and internally displaced people. The artist hopes to create 30 large-scale public art pieces with the Jordanian, Palestinian, and Syrian communities. He also plans to create murals with Syrian children who fled their homes because of the conflict.

The art of these refugee children is also showing their gratitude for the help that they receive from the international community. 130,000 Syrian refugees reside in Zaatari, Jordan’s fifth largest ‘city’. The ‘old city’ has several murals that depict Syrian refugees. One mural features two white houses shaking hands and a looping Arabic script. This art contradicts the local tension between Jordanian and Syrian communities.