The Six: Middle East-based graffiti artists to watch out for

Artist Suhaib Attar is from Amman, Jordan. (AFP)

DUBAI: These Middle East-based graffiti artists are redefining the urban landscape in cities across the region.
Suhaib Attar
The graffiti artist from Amman, Jordan, was part of a small group working across the city to “transform these great big walls of dull concrete into an expressive painting that is full of life,” he told AFP last year.

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It’s a wrap! the project of @artolution that was held in a public school in Zarqa city was a big collab with @maxfrieder @joelartista @wesamshadid @joannaarida @paint_ash @itsbrams thanks to #gizjordan #qudra that brought us all together.the project took us 10 days to do along with painting and recycle workshop with 65 kids from the school it was so much fun working with you guys .

A post shared by Suhaib Attar (@suhaib_attar) on Sep 9, 2018 at 2:43pm PDT

eL Seed
Tunisian street artist and calligrapher eL Seed is one of the best-known graffiti artists in the region. He has created murals across the Middle East, from Egypt to Lebanon and beyond.

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In 2015, I painted this mural in Shoreditch, London. The wall is gone today. That was part of the agreement. As I was walking by this street today, I reflected on the quote that I used. It reads the words of John Locke : “It is one thing to show a man that he is in an error and another to put him in possession of truth” I chose this quote as I was making this piece weeks after the massacre in Sousse, Tunisia, and the shooting in Charleston the same month. As an artist coming to the UK, I thought the quote could open up a dialogue about the collective responsibility we have toward each other. When somethig wrong happens, we always put blame on someone else. But the responsibility lies with all of us. It is our responsibility to find a way to keep it from happening. #london #collectiveresponsibility #locke #fortheloveofpink

A post shared by eL Seed (@elseed) on Feb 6, 2018 at 2:49pm PST

Yazan Halwani
Lebanese graffiti artist Yazan Halwani, who started experimenting with the art form in 2007, is known for focusing on the shape, rather than the meaning, of the Arabic calligraphy he paints.

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The Difficulty of the Inevitability of Leaving Things Behind Mannheim, Germany Photo: @lodidoumit

A post shared by Yazan Halwani (@yazanhalwani) on Oct 21, 2018 at 9:24am PDT

Fats Patrol
The Indian-Canadian artist was born and raised in Dubai and boasts work that is inspired by everything from Indian block printing to Arab henna styles and calligraphy.

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#jordan #thewordisyoursfestival #Amman #tb #2015 #fatspatrol #streetart

A post shared by Fats (@fatspatrol) on Jan 5, 2018 at 9:29pm PST

Dina Saadi
Born in Russia, raised in Syria and currently based in Dubai, Dina Saadi has worked with brands like Apple, Instagram and Uber. Her bright color palette and recurring female symbols make her work immediately identifiable.

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“I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me, too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it’s true I’m here, and I’m just as strange as you.” Frida Kahlo My latest mural at my house. This's a tribute to Frida and all the "strage" defiant ones out there

A post shared by Dina Saadi دينا السعدي (@dinasaadi) on Oct 24, 2018 at 7:27am PDT

Myneandyours
Artist Marwan Shakarchi’s most recognized symbol is a cloud with facial features. His work is vibrant, boldly defined and striking.

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Offer some jellybeans in your boardroom to lighten the mood #sugar #candy

A post shared by myneandyours (@myneandyours) on Jun 19, 2018 at 3:30am PDT