Mariam Nihal

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — “Writing graffiti is about the most honest way you can be an artist. It takes no money to do it, you don’t need an education to understand it and there’s no admission fee.”  Bansky (Tristan Manco. Stencil Graffiti).



Much like the legacy of Banksy, a pseudonymous director, graffiti artist, political activist and painter, the culture of street art remains embedded in a country’s quest for political, musical and artistic ambitions.



“Street” artists in Saudi Arabia seem to have taken the challenging course to express their unperturbed thoughts and emote art in a voice that uses paints, graffiti, spray, sticker art, drawings, mosaic tiling, wheat-pasting and other illustrative artworks by unidentified individuals on the streets.



In a country like Saudi Arabia where social media is the individual mean to voice unedited opinions, a growing number of young artists and opinion makers have found their own ways of pushing social boundaries.



A blog “Saudi Street Art” (http://saudistreetart.tumblr.com/) showcases many examples of street art in Saudi Arabia.



Sarah Mohanna Al Abdali is one of many who sprayed Jeddah walls with art that soon gathered public attention in 2012.



She said: “At first I was worried about how the conservatives would react and whether I would get any bad comments, but no one has said anything. “Saudi is going through a lot of change and street art is the perfect medium to experiment in.”



Many art enthusiasts, local galleries and foreign media are tapping into the potential of Saudi street art by creating a buzz on ground and on social media.