Friday March 29th, 2024
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Karim Jabbari: Artistic Light

One of the rising names on the Arab street art scene, we take a look at the work of one Tunisian repatriate digitalising graffiti...

Staff Writer

There are few positives that anyone can point to resulting from the Arab uprisings that, untill this day, have left countries struggling to reshape and rebuild. By simply just walking the streets of Egypt or Tunisia, it quickly becomes apparent that the streets have transformed from barren landscapes into vibrant, colourful statements, thanks to the efforts of awoken graffiti artists.

One of the artists creating street art with a lasting impression is Karim Jabbari. Jabbari returned to the city of Kasserine in Tunisia after spending 14 years in Montreal, Canada. Inspired by the uprisings, Jabbari returned to leave his artistic mark with his own unique style that mixes Arabic calligraphy with an edgy urban aesthetics playing with shapes, patterns, and colours.

Aside from his breathtaking traditional graffiti work, Jabbari has expanded his scope and in a short period of time, this artist has become one of the most respected lightgraff artists in the Arab world. Using a DSLR camera and a flashlight, Jabbari has been able to create unique pieces that hang in space appearing as a digital modified illusion, when in actuality it is simply Jabbari playing with movements caught on a long-exposure camera shot.