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[[File:Yazan Halwani in Dortmund Germany painting The Flower Salesman mural.jpg|thumb|]]
{{COI|date=December 2016}}
{{short description|Lebanese artist and activist from Beirut}}
{{Infobox artist
{{lead too short|date=March 2018}}
| name = Yazan Halwani
'''Yazan Halwani''' ({{Langx|ar|يزن حلواني}}) is a [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] artist from [[Beirut]]. Yazan is best known for his public art displays, including graffiti, murals, and sculptures. His murals can be found on buildings across Beirut, and often depict portraits of important Lebanese and Middle Eastern figures.
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| image =Yazan Halwani in Dortmund Germany painting The Flower Salesman mural.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =Yazan Halwani painting the Flower Salesman in [[Dortmund]], [[Germany]]
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age |1993|5|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Beirut]], Lebanon
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| death_place =
| nationality =Lebanese
| spouse =
| known_for = Street art, Arabic Calligraphy
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| education =[[American University of Beirut]]
| movement =
| notable_works =
* Eternal Sabah building ([[Hamra, Beirut]])
* The Flower Salesman ([[Dortmund]], [[Germany]])
| patrons =
| influenced by =
| influenced =
| awards =
| elected =
| website = <!-- {{URL|http://www.facebook.com/YazanOne}} -->
}}


Halwani, a graduate of [[American University of Beirut]] and [[Harvard Business School]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Yazan Halwani - MBA - Harvard Business School|url=https://www.hbs.edu/mba/student-life/people/Pages/perspectives.aspx?profile=yhalwani|access-date=2020-09-07|website=www.hbs.edu}}</ref> started painting to protest against Lebanon's traditionally-[[Sectarianism|sectarian]] politics and the [[Lebanese Civil War]] (1975-1990).<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-09-22|title=How a Beirut graffiti artist is using his murals to try to unite a fragmented city|url=http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/sep/22/beirut-graffiti-artist-yazan-halwani-lebanese|access-date=2020-09-07|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref> His art celebrates Lebanon's unique cultural heritage and the creation of a unified national identity of secularism. Yazan's most recognizable work is the ''Eternal Sabah'' mural in Beirut's [[Hamra, Beirut|Hamra]] neighborhood, portraying the famous Lebanese singer and artist, [[Sabah (singer)|Sabah]].
'''Yazan Halwani''' is a street artist from Beirut, Lebanon that paints murals through a combination of renewed Arabic calligraphy and portraits.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/sep/22/beirut-graffiti-artist-yazan-halwani-lebanese|title=How a Beirut graffiti artist is using his murals to try to unite a fragmented city|last=Bramley|first=Ellie Violet|date=2015-09-22|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref> Dubbed “Beirut’s Banksy” by Arab and international media,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/in-lebanon-an-artist-for-a-new-generation-is-born_us_55e9bff4e4b093be51bb5025|title=Meet 'Beirut’s Banksy,' The Artist Who’s Transforming The City One Wall At A Time|last=Editor|first=Sara Elkamel Associate International|last2=Post|first2=The Huffington|date=2015-09-04|website=The Huffington Post|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/life-style/art-and-culture/2015/07/21/How-Beirut-s-Banksy-has-brought-color-to-the-city-s-battered-streets.html|title=How Beirut’s Banksy has brought color to the city’s battered streets|last=|first=|date=21 July 2015|website=|publisher=Al Arabiya|access-date=}}</ref><ref>http://www.greatbigstory.com/stories/beirut-banksy#</ref> Yazan has painted in a number of countries including: France,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-hip-hop-beat-on-the-arab-street-1431714292|title=A Hip-Hop Beat on the Arab Street|last=Landauro|first=Inti|date=2015-05-15|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|issn=0099-9660|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/24/arts/international/tracing-hip-hops-phenomenal-rise.html|title=Tracing Hip-Hop’s Phenomenal Rise|last=Fourquet|first=Laure|date=2015-07-23|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref> Singapore,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.themalaymailonline.com/features/article/international-artists-flock-in-singapore-for-inaugural-art-fair|title=International artists flock in Singapore for inaugural Art Fair|date=2014-11-29|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref> Germany,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bento.de/art/yazan-halwani-ist-star-der-streetart-szene-und-war-zu-besuch-in-dortmund-55357/|title=Der "Banksy Beiruts" hat einen syrischen Jungen auf einer Dortmunder Hauswand verewigt|last=Germany|first=bento, Hamburg,|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nordstadtblogger.de/34493|title=HUNA/K-Festival: Ein freundliches Lächeln als beeindruckendes Statement gegen Krieg und Vertreibung - Nordstadtblogger|date=2015-09-24|newspaper=Nordstadtblogger|language=de-DE|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref> Beirut, Tunisia<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.widewalls.ch/10-djerbahood-muralists/yazan-halawani/|title=Yazan Halwani - Calligraphy and Portraits|last=widewalls|newspaper=WideWalls|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref> and the UAE. Yazan is known for his re-use of Arabic calligraphy to create figurative elements in an attempt to give a new dimension to Arabic calligraphy which has focused traditionally on abstraction rather than figuration.


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==Artwork and style==
==Biography==
Yazan Halwani was born on the 17th May 1993 in Beirut, Lebanon. The Lebanese Civil War had taken its toll on the city, and large parts of the city were destroyed.
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In 2007, Yazan started experimenting with graffiti after being influenced by French Hiphop music, notably [[IAM (band)]]. In 2011, Yazan decided to change his style and create a mural style that is independent of the west, by leveraging Arabic calligraphy and portraits of Arab people. He frequently reports that his shift in style was accompanied by a shift in attitude: "Graffiti has a strong connotation of vandalism, but in my city most people do vandalism: [[Lebanese Civil War]], corrupt politicians. This is why I try to make my murals a constructive expression of the city."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/06/qa-calligraphy-meets-street-art-beirut-150616064634855.html|title=Q&A: Calligraphy meets street art in Beirut|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref>


Yazan has studied Computer and Communication Engineering at the [[American University of Beirut]] and graduated with a Bachelor in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/reportsfeatures/yazan-halwani-is-painting-our-city|title=Yazan Halwani is painting our city|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=NOW News|access-date=24 August 2013}}</ref>

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===Artwork and Style===
[[File:Eternal Sabah Mural on Assaf building in Hamra,Beirut - Nightshot.jpg|thumb|340x340px|Eternal Sabah Mural by Yazan Halwani on Assaf building in Hamra, [[Beirut]]]]
[[File:Eternal Sabah Mural on Assaf building in Hamra,Beirut - Nightshot.jpg|thumb|340x340px|Eternal Sabah Mural by Yazan Halwani on Assaf building in Hamra, [[Beirut]]]]
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Yazan’s [[calligraffiti]] style uses Arabic letters to form intricate, modern and stylized Arabic calligraphy compositions that are an essential element of his art work.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.digital-development-debates.org/issue-18-cities--beirut--transforming-the-face-of-beirut.html|title=Issue 18 Cities - Beirut - Transforming the Face of Beirut - Digital Development Debates|website=www.digital-development-debates.org|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref> His calligraphy does not focus on the meaning of the words but on their shape, movement, or the composition: traditional Arabic calligraphy for him has always been formed by the meaning of the words (usually excerpts from the Koran, poems, or sayings) and the shape of the calligraphy; Yazan challenges tradition by removing the meaning of the words to focus solely on the task of the calligrapher. Hence his calligraphy is used as a "pixel" for a portrait, a way to note music, or a way to show movement.


⚫
In 2007, Yazan started experimenting with graffiti benefiting from the loose regulation towards graffiti in Beirut. In 2011, Yazan decided to change his style and create a mural style that is independent of the west, by leveraging Arabic calligraphy and portraits of Arab people. He frequently reports that his shift in style was accompanied by a shift in attitude: "Graffiti has a strong connotation of vandalism, but in my city most people do vandalism: [[Lebanese Civil War]], corrupt politicians. This is why I try to make my murals a constructive expression of the city."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/06/qa-calligraphy-meets-street-art-beirut-150616064634855.html|title=Q&A: Calligraphy meets street art in Beirut|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref>
⚫
Yazan was initially influenced by the western hip hop and graffiti scene from the USA and Europe. But living in the Middle-East, he soon turned his attention to Middle Eastern art and Arabic calligraphy through an Arabic calligraphy book that his uncle shared with him.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thenational.ae/arts-lifestyle/art/20151005/lebanese-calligraphy-artist-creates-murals-of-beloved-local-figures|title=Lebanese calligraphy artist creates murals of beloved local figures {{!}} The National|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref> Yazan subsequently evolved his style to paint images, words and letters that have an oriental touch and inspiration. Another distinctive element of Yazan’s art is the focus on portraits as a central element within a mural or a painting<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thenational.ae/arts-lifestyle/art/20151005/lebanese-calligraphy-artist-creates-murals-of-beloved-local-figures|title=Lebanese calligraphy artist creates murals of beloved local figures {{!}} The National|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref> In addition to his murals, the artist has recently started installing sculptures made of cement on the street. The sculptures, inspired by the heavy use of cement in Beirut, write Arabic words that integrate to the city in an organic manner. The artist that these sculptures is the way he imagines "the city would speak" if it did.


⚫
Yazan's [[calligraffiti]] style uses Arabic letters to form intricate, modern and stylized Arabic calligraphy compositions that are an essential element of his art work.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.digital-development-debates.org/issue-18-cities--beirut--transforming-the-face-of-beirut.html|title=Issue 18 Cities - Beirut - Transforming the Face of Beirut - Digital Development Debates|website=www.digital-development-debates.org|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref> His calligraphy does not focus on the meaning of the words but on their shape, movement, or the composition: traditional Arabic calligraphy for him has always been formed by the meaning of the words (usually excerpts from the Koran, poems, or sayings) and the shape of the calligraphy; Yazan challenges tradition by removing the meaning of the words to focus solely on the task of the calligrapher. Hence his calligraphy is used as a "pixel" for a portrait, a way to note music, or a way to show movement.
Yazan’s murals are characterized by their size, themes and portraits that include portraits of Arab and Lebanese artists, cultural icons, and faces of Arabs. Through his murals, he achieves the objective of painting a positive image of the city of [[Beirut]]. Yazan’s famous walls in Beirut include a wall in Gemmayzeh street that represents a portrait of Lebanese artist and cultural icon Fairouz. Yazan Halwani also painted a portrait of Ali Abdullah, a homeless man that used to live on Bliss street.

⚫
Yazan was initially influenced by the western hip hop and graffiti scene from the US and Europe. But living in the Middle-East, he soon turned his attention to Middle Eastern art and Arabic calligraphy through an Arabic calligraphy book that his uncle shared with him.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thenational.ae/arts-lifestyle/art/20151005/lebanese-calligraphy-artist-creates-murals-of-beloved-local-figures|title=Lebanese calligraphy artist creates murals of beloved local figures {{!}} The National|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref> Yazan subsequently evolved his style to paint images, words and letters that have an oriental touch and inspiration. Another distinctive element of Yazan's art is the focus on portraits as a central element within a mural or a painting<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thenational.ae/arts-lifestyle/art/20151005/lebanese-calligraphy-artist-creates-murals-of-beloved-local-figures|title=Lebanese calligraphy artist creates murals of beloved local figures {{!}} The National|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref> In addition to his murals, the artist has recently started installing sculptures made of cement on the street.

Yazan's murals are characterized by their size, themes and portraits that include portraits of Arab and Lebanese artists, cultural icons, and faces of Arabs.


His biggest murals is a full building painted with the portrait of Lebanese singer Sabah at the heart of Hamra, Beirut, on a building that housed before the Lebanese Civil War the Horseshoe cafe, a popular hangout for Arab artists and writers such as [[Paul Guiragossian]], [[Nizar Qabbani]] and [[Mahmoud Darwish]]. Another mural in Germany that attracted international attention was entitled "The Flower Salesman" which depicts a Syrian child called Fares that used to sell flowers in Beirut and died during the Syrian Civil War.
His biggest murals is a full building painted with the portrait of Lebanese singer Sabah at the heart of Hamra, Beirut, on a building that housed before the Lebanese Civil War the Horseshoe cafe, a popular hangout for Arab artists and writers such as [[Paul Guiragossian]], [[Nizar Qabbani]] and [[Mahmoud Darwish]]. Another mural in Germany that attracted international attention was entitled "The Flower Salesman" which depicts a Syrian child called Fares that used to sell flowers in Beirut and died during the Syrian Civil War.


==Exhibitions==
==Exhibitions==

* Huna/k, Dortmund (Germany), September 2015
* Huna/k, Dortmund (Germany), September 2015
* UrbanArt Biennale 2015, Saarbrücken (Germany), March–November 2015
* UrbanArt Biennale 2015, Saarbrücken (Germany), March–November 2015
Line 52: Line 26:
* “Du Bronx aux Rues Arabes” at the Institut du Monde Arab, Paris (France), April- July 2015
* “Du Bronx aux Rues Arabes” at the Institut du Monde Arab, Paris (France), April- July 2015
* Horouf Art Exhibition, Dubai (United Arab Emirates), February 2015
* Horouf Art Exhibition, Dubai (United Arab Emirates), February 2015
* Djerbahood Open Air Museum, Djerba (Tunisia), August 2014
* [[Djerbahood|Djerbahood Open Air Museum]], Djerba (Tunisia), August 2014
* Singapore Art Fair, Singapore (Singapore), November 2014
* Singapore Art Fair, Singapore (Singapore), November 2014
* Liquid Art House, Boston (USA), May 2014
* Liquid Art House, Boston (USA), May 2014
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[[Category:Lebanese artists]]
[[Category:Lebanese artists]]
[[Category:1993 births]]
[[Category:1993 births]]
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[[Category:American University of Beirut alumni]]
[[Category:Harvard Business School alumni]]
[[Category:Calligraffiti artists]]

Latest revision as of 19:55, 4 November 2024

Yazan Halwani (Arabic: يزن حلواني) is a Lebanese artist from Beirut. Yazan is best known for his public art displays, including graffiti, murals, and sculptures. His murals can be found on buildings across Beirut, and often depict portraits of important Lebanese and Middle Eastern figures.

Halwani, a graduate of American University of Beirut and Harvard Business School,[1] started painting to protest against Lebanon's traditionally-sectarian politics and the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990).[2] His art celebrates Lebanon's unique cultural heritage and the creation of a unified national identity of secularism. Yazan's most recognizable work is the Eternal Sabah mural in Beirut's Hamra neighborhood, portraying the famous Lebanese singer and artist, Sabah.

Artwork and style

[edit]
Eternal Sabah Mural by Yazan Halwani on Assaf building in Hamra, Beirut

In 2007, Yazan started experimenting with graffiti benefiting from the loose regulation towards graffiti in Beirut. In 2011, Yazan decided to change his style and create a mural style that is independent of the west, by leveraging Arabic calligraphy and portraits of Arab people. He frequently reports that his shift in style was accompanied by a shift in attitude: "Graffiti has a strong connotation of vandalism, but in my city most people do vandalism: Lebanese Civil War, corrupt politicians. This is why I try to make my murals a constructive expression of the city."[3]

Yazan's calligraffiti style uses Arabic letters to form intricate, modern and stylized Arabic calligraphy compositions that are an essential element of his art work.[4] His calligraphy does not focus on the meaning of the words but on their shape, movement, or the composition: traditional Arabic calligraphy for him has always been formed by the meaning of the words (usually excerpts from the Koran, poems, or sayings) and the shape of the calligraphy; Yazan challenges tradition by removing the meaning of the words to focus solely on the task of the calligrapher. Hence his calligraphy is used as a "pixel" for a portrait, a way to note music, or a way to show movement.

Yazan was initially influenced by the western hip hop and graffiti scene from the US and Europe. But living in the Middle-East, he soon turned his attention to Middle Eastern art and Arabic calligraphy through an Arabic calligraphy book that his uncle shared with him.[5] Yazan subsequently evolved his style to paint images, words and letters that have an oriental touch and inspiration. Another distinctive element of Yazan's art is the focus on portraits as a central element within a mural or a painting[6] In addition to his murals, the artist has recently started installing sculptures made of cement on the street.

Yazan's murals are characterized by their size, themes and portraits that include portraits of Arab and Lebanese artists, cultural icons, and faces of Arabs.

His biggest murals is a full building painted with the portrait of Lebanese singer Sabah at the heart of Hamra, Beirut, on a building that housed before the Lebanese Civil War the Horseshoe cafe, a popular hangout for Arab artists and writers such as Paul Guiragossian, Nizar Qabbani and Mahmoud Darwish. Another mural in Germany that attracted international attention was entitled "The Flower Salesman" which depicts a Syrian child called Fares that used to sell flowers in Beirut and died during the Syrian Civil War.

Exhibitions

[edit]
  • Huna/k, Dortmund (Germany), September 2015
  • UrbanArt Biennale 2015, Saarbrücken (Germany), March–November 2015
  • 32Bis, Tunis (Tunisia), June 2015
  • “Du Bronx aux Rues Arabes” at the Institut du Monde Arab, Paris (France), April- July 2015
  • Horouf Art Exhibition, Dubai (United Arab Emirates), February 2015
  • Djerbahood Open Air Museum, Djerba (Tunisia), August 2014
  • Singapore Art Fair, Singapore (Singapore), November 2014
  • Liquid Art House, Boston (USA), May 2014
  • Courtyard Gallery, Dubai (United Arab Emirates), March- April 2014

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Yazan Halwani - MBA - Harvard Business School". www.hbs.edu. Retrieved 2020-09-07.
  2. ^ "How a Beirut graffiti artist is using his murals to try to unite a fragmented city". the Guardian. 2015-09-22. Retrieved 2020-09-07.
  3. ^ "Q&A: Calligraphy meets street art in Beirut". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
  4. ^ "Issue 18 Cities - Beirut - Transforming the Face of Beirut - Digital Development Debates". www.digital-development-debates.org. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
  5. ^ "Lebanese calligraphy artist creates murals of beloved local figures | The National". Retrieved 2016-10-09.
  6. ^ "Lebanese calligraphy artist creates murals of beloved local figures | The National". Retrieved 2016-10-09.
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