If you've passed by City Walk in Jumeirah, then you've definitely come across the Dubai Walls project that has the whole area beautifully covered in colors.
From artwork taking over entire walls to smaller pop-up installations, it's great to see Dubai's addition to a region already brimming with the likes of Beirut's Yazan Halwani and Tunisia's eL Seed .
I <3 DXB in meta-street art
Nick Walker, one of the world's best known street artists, is the man behind this sleek piece of art. His I-heart-DXBs is based on a 2014 artwork from New York City, but it still sets itself apart from the many 'I hearts' around the world. It's a clever vintage-style rendering of a man drawing (or is it erasing) the heart on a faux brick wall. You might call it, meta-street art.
Walker emerged from the infamous Bristol graffiti scene in the early 1980s. His work has become an inspiration for hundreds of emerging artists since.
The one that's not a drawing on the wall, but a chipping of the wall
Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto, also known as Vhils, is the man behind this piece.
Vhils teases the boundaries of visual interaction with the urban-environment. And this one is a case in point.
An adaptation of the first photos taken of Bedouin tribes who lived in the territory, this work of art is made out of a masonry wall painted white. The artist then chipped off the concrete to expose the face you see above. The pieces of concrete rubble lay right below the building to remind you that this isn't a drawing, but a 'chipping'.
"Making visible the invisible and the history that lies beneath the recent mass development," Vhils writes on the Instagram caption .
The one that puts a face on women's rights
Refugee stencil artists and brothers ICY and SOT from Tabriz, Iran have transcended borders with their artwork. Currently residing in New York, the duo has contributed greatly to the Iranian and international art scene with their work as they highlight human rights, ecological justice, and social and political issues.
The duo's piece in Dubai is a call for women's rights in the Emirate.
The street art character that flew over from Cuba to Dubai to have a "look"
Melbourne artist Rone is best known for his stylized images of women's faces, having first spearheading Melbourne's street art movement to becoming a celebrated fixture in the international street art scene. A replica of his 'Nadila in Cuba' is now taking over the streets in Dubai.
"The wall I painted is replication of a wall I painted in Cuba. The wall there has seen a city held back from progress and has the scars to tell the tale. The woman is Nadila, she has lived in Havana her whole life. Now she’s transported to Dubai in a cultural exchange to look upon the ever-growing landscape," Rone told Emirates .
These mini-Dubai installations
"I started working with miniatures in 2006. My work involves remodelling and painting of miniature model train set characters, which I then place and leave on the street. It is both sculpture, street art installation and photography," said UK born urban artist Slinkachu.
His Dubai-inspired installation is part of the #DubaiWalls project.
