Meet FP7’S Dream Catcher

TO MARK FP7’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY, WHICH WAS RECENTLY CELEBRATED IN BAHRAIN, A HUGE MURAL ART WAS CREATED BY NO OTHER THAN THE YOUNG TALENTED LEBANESE STREET ARTIST YAZAN HALWANY.

Represented by a local fisherman, the mural Yazan Halwany created is meant to be an allegory of Bahrain, the land that welcomed the agency’s founders, and played a great role in its growth and regional expansion. “When I visited Bahrain for the first time with Tarek, he told me about FP7’S adventure that started in Beirut then moved to Bahrain when the war broke out in Beirut. He emphasized on how they found a new home to realize their dreams,” explains Halwany. The company was established in 1968 with seven partners, each contributing $1000. And the rest, as we say is history.

The Garageers (fishing nets) form the body of this welcoming fisherman painted on the facade of the agency’s building. The young artist has used real wires from the Garageer to create depth and make the piece three dimensional. As a result, these nets make him a giant “Dream Catcher” (Sayad Al-ahlam) – the small hoop-like objects that Native Americans weave to keep away bad dreams and retain good ones. Similarly, this fisherman does not seek fish, but rather tries to catch the good dreams for the people of Bahrain and its residents.

Of course, Halwany’s signature is unmistakable. This talented artist, who deals with identity in the Arab world throughout his artwork, has managed to transform Arabic calligraphy from an instrument of writing to an instrument/ pixel for painting images, which adorn all his graffiti art.