Street art is a powerful tool. When individuals express themselves on the walls of bustling towns and cities that thousands of people walk or drive by on a daily basis, their art is not confined to sketchbooks or fancy frames. Instead, their art becomes a part of the location as it often times represents a political view, a social struggle, or a personal statement that current inhabitants can learn from or relate to. When people think of “street art,” some cities that come to mind most likely include New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston. However, street art goes far beyond the United States. Jordan is a country with rich art and architecture and is thriving with street artists and graffiti artists especially in the cities. Here are some inspiring street artists and artwork in Jordan.

1.) Jonathan Darby created this piece, Strength, according to Urbanite. Plastered on the outside of a gym specifically designed for women,beige, hints of pink and purple, black, white, and gray compose this painting’s color palette The woman in the painting is wearing a hijab and her eyes are closed. On her face, there are bits and pieces of Arabic writings. To the right of her face, there are more words in Arabic painted in white. The depth created by what seems like a limited color combination makes this piece of art unique. What makes this mural great is its empowering nature to women in and outside of Jordan.

2.) Wesam Shadid created this mural. Most of us can recognize that he borrowed Pink Floyd’s cover art. However, Shadid included a unique element by producing detailed designs yet maintaining the same array of colors as the original art. The rainbow branches out into his own intricate patterns. The patterns almost resemble symbols similar to flames and snakes.

3.) Laila Ajjawi created this painting. According to Cosmopolitan, Ajjawi was born into a family of Palestinian refugees. She makes a difference through her art by conveying powerful statements regarding women’s freedom, justice, and equality. This particular mural utilizes a lot of blacks, whites, and grays. She also uses red and hints of blues and purples. The woman who only reveals one eye as the other is covered by hair acts as the focal point of the artwork. The black silhouettes of the boy and girl faced back to back below the white figure are also significant details of the message she is expressing.

4.) Pejac painted this piece of street art. Pejac painted a black silhouette of a young boy in shorts and sneakers looking up at the Earth he is holding with a single finger. While the boy is only painted in black, the Earth is painted in blue, green, beige, yellow, and pink. According to Graffiti Street, Pejac said, “On the one hand I’m talking about Jordan, a country that has a long history of hospitality towards refugees. Today, for example, there are over 1.6 million Syrian refugees and over 2 million Palestine refugees in Jordan. On the other hand without knowing it, a big part of Jordan’s population and its future is being determined by, is in the hands of, the kids.” Taking Jordan’s current policy of housing so many refugees from Palestine and Syria into consideration, it is these refugees who have survived hardship who will work to establish laws and social norms that will most likely bring attention to the overlooked minority that ironically make up the majority.

Street Art in Jordan