yazan halwani

Yazan Halwani was born in early 90s and is considered one of the pioneers of Lebanese and Arab street art by local and international media. Growing up in Beirut he had noticed the remnants of the Lebanese Civil war and identity schism at two levels: the city’s walls were punctured by artillery and the walls and streets were filled with divisive figures that attempt to assert a divisive identity to a street/area in Beirut. As a child he had become in contact with street art after seeing forms of it in movies and references in French music.
Halwani was quickly interested in street art as a way to erase the grip on the identity politicians had created in the city and that war had cemented. In 2009, Yazan started producing the largest murals on the walls of Beirut and by 2012 had forged a characteristic visual language using Arabic calligraphy, geometry and portraits in an attempt to create a renewed Arabic art form  that although is in continuity with Arab art, is able to break the stationary traditions.
Yazan’s work has been seen around the world: in Lebanon, Jordan, UAE, Tunisia, Germany, Singapore, France and the USA and has been featured in many collections and publications.