Street Art Acceptance in Saudi Arabia

By Faris Alothimin

(1)Shows how underground sewage system 

 remains a glaring infrastructural defect  

in Jeddah.
(2) “ This is God’s sea,” a clear  
protest against buying public open spaces.

      Today, there are many ways to express one’s self; expressions like these can be statements, drawings, or reflections that portray specific lifestyles. Street art is a form of art that became popular all over the world with urban areas as their main setting.  Street art is a form of art that developed in public spaces. The term street art is used more frequently to distinguish it from vandalism, territorial graffiti, and corporate art. The main difference between street art and graffiti is that the former is constructive and the latter is destructive. Street art is described by some people as nuisance, but is considered by others as a tool to communicate, share thoughts and views. Street art is also considered as a way to beautify and rejuvenate urban areas. Whether street art is regarded as vandalism or public art, street art caught the eyes of art lovers in the whole world.

(3)The west side of Berlin Wall had artwork  

covering the entire wall. The result is the colorful 

 expressions on the West side of the wall; in  

contrast, to the East’s dull side. These artworks  

came to symbolize the differences of the two societies.

     Along with YouTube, over the past two years, street art has become popular form of expression in Saudi Arabia. They are both mostly targeted by the youth and show some hidden issues in the society and reveal said issues in an artistic, comical way. In Jeddah, for example, murals, stencils, and installations are used to paste up and post art—street art has helped shape the cultural personality of the city. Socially, it changes areas to provide some personality, color, and texture. Unfortunately, businesses, architects, and developers don’t see the beauty of this art. Architects are innovative, and street art falls directly into that category. There are two contrasting views of street art in Saudi Arabia. The first view is that street art is a form of expression such as any other form of art. Street art, if done right can be used in many positive ways such as beautifying dull public areas and advertising in an exciting way. Street art gives its artists ways to express themselves, their ideas, and their feelings through the medium of art. They want to transfer art to a blank space and want to turn walls in to canvases.

(4) “The life cycle of a woman,” which  

shows the restrictions on Saudi Women  

when it comes to her life. The restrictions 

for her protection. 

     The second view is more dominant over the first. Many people in our community view street art as a form of vandalism and a criminal behavior that should be punished by the law. They believe that it’s one of the reasons that make public spaces undesirable and because of this, they choose not to see the artistic quality and creativity in some of these artworks. In Saudi Arabia, like in most countries, damaging a property with graffiti is considered an act of vandalism, and it’s punishable by the law. These artists can face large fines and possible imprisonment. This way is the most common way used by governments so they can deal with street artist. Due of this negative approach, there are no efforts that promote the positive impacts that this art has on a community. Neither the media, nor art galleries are promoting this kind of art. A positive impact that street art can offer is promoting public spaces and making it more desirable for people to come and enjoy their pieces of work, which in return can help local businesses.

 (5)Sarah Attar, the first Saudi Arabian

 track and field athlete at the Olympic

 Games.  This piece by @Shaweesh_ 

shows the utmost support for Attar who

 is an inspiration to other Saudi women

 interested in sports.

     The main challenge facing artists is getting their work noticed by others. Whether they do this by addressing controversial issues or by painting pictures in 3D. The main goal will always be to get people’s attention and touch their hearts through their art.

     Programs and galleries are needed to promote and educate people about the positive outcomes of street art. Although, the negative views of the society on street art are common, there are still many benefits that have been disregarded. Street art is an expression of one’s self. If society is not willing to accept this art, things will only get worse. Those artists only want a chance to be recognized as respectable artist, and sadly, their only canvas is the street.