Jordanian graffiti artists brighten Amman’s drab streets

AMMAN: Dreadlocked university student Suhaib Attar clutches a can of spray paint as he sets to work on the latest gloomy corner of Jordan’s capital that he has turned into his canvas.

faces and patterns across Amman to bring more color to the lives of its 4 million inhabitants.

“Our city is beautiful but it needs to be bright

The aim is to “transform these great big walls of dull concrete into an expressive painting that

Built on seven hills that give their names to small graffiti community for some years. And have been busy.

Their eye- catching designs have begun popping Jabal Amman and Jabal al Lweibdeh neighborhoods where lots of foreigners live.

Struggle for permission

graffiti artists have constantly had to challenge convention to carve out a niche for their works. But the art still faces limits like other forms of politics and religion.

“I avoid topics that may shock some people artist explains.

hand the suspicion—and hostility—that sometimes meets her work. “I was doing a large portrait of a lecturing to me because I was up a ladder among

Sultan says that as she walks around Amman she itches to use her skills to revitalize the many soulless expanses of wall she sees. “But to get prior permission from the municipal explains. “Most of the time we end up getting refused and sometimes we face rejection by

‘ Red lines’

steeped in tradition where artistic creation can but we don’t touch at all subject connected to

But even that makes for an impressive change around the Jordanian capital. “Before there were or messages from young guys to their friends

And as graffiti makes inroads in Jordan it is increasingly drawing admiration from some locals and visitors.

“It adds color to the city as buildings here can studying Arabic in the kingdom. Jordanian Karim needed splash of excitement.