Beirut's lively graffiti scene paints political commentary in broad strokes
A new book explores how graffiti artists in Beirut skirt limitations on expression to share political criticism in the streets.
BEIRUT — Beirut's alleyways and streets are peppered in bright, detailed and provocative graffiti. Street artists use the medium, which exists in a legal grey area, to express their identity and give voice to political frustrations.
Lebanon’s street art and its political roots are the subject of a new book “Drawing Lines,” launched on Oct. 25 at the museum and cultural center Beit Beirut, followed by an Oct. 31 exhibition of the artists and photographers featured.
The book, authored by Tamara Zantout, founder of an online platform for urban design-turned-publisher called The Urban Fusion, documents the history of graffiti in Lebanon and how it has influenced and influences Lebanese identity.
Born in Lebanon, Zantout left for the United Kingdom during the civil war and was raised with a “nostalgic love” of her homeland.
