The Street Child

This piece of street art is located on the wall of an AUC building in downtown. The street art- an image of a street child is actually a white sticky-poster with black sharpie marker drawn over it.

While I can't be sure, I am fairly confident that this piece is by the street artist Dokhan. The work looks very similar to that which Dokhan created for the exhibit This is Not Graffiti at the Townhouse Gallery earlier this fall. I have re-posted the picture below.

Why do some street artists leave signatures (whether their name or a image [for example, a Sad Panda face] that identifies them) and others do not? Even in Dokhan doesn't leave a proper signature, is his artistic style a signature in and of itself? Is it ever possible to be truly anonymous?

this is not graffiti

The name of this blog comes from an exhibition by the same name at the Townhouse Gallery. Located in downtown Cairo, the Townhouse Gallery is comprised of a library (with art books in several languages), several exhibition space and a theatre. The Gallery hosts artists in residence and has many programs for under-priviledged youth and refugees.

Here a great video about the Gallery: http://vimeo.com/21584869
As the video explains, the Gallery fosters discussion on political and social issues.

I saw the play Lessons in Revolting at the Gallery in August.
http://lessonsinrevolting.com/dates-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%aa%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%ae-2/-- they're currently touring in Europe, check it out!

The play was produced by Egyptian actor-activists whose "purpose is not to document or reminisce, but to reflect [about the January 25 revolution] with an audience."


The exhibition "This is not graffiti" features nine artists who each graffiti-ed a wall of the Townhouse Gallery. Given the exhibition's title, should I be using the "graffiti-ed"? Many of the artwork on the street is actually painted and not spray-painted which is medium that I most associate with graffiti. Additionally I have always considered graffiti an inherently subversive (i.e. illegal) act.

Perhaps the title then is in reference to the fact that the artwork in the exhibition is not illegal and will not be crossed out or painted over because it is under the auspieces of the exhibition. In contrast, the artwork on the street is not part of an exhibition and as a result has no protection. While the artwork on the street will no doubt remain subversive, I can only hope that this blog will offer it some degree of protection. So is it graffiti? That's for you to decide.


Here pictures (taken on my iphone) from the exhibition.
The panda is ubiquitous is Cairo. Apparently before the January 25 revolution there was a TV commercial involving an angry panda(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4277ZqJEd7Q&feature=related). The subtitles are hard to see, but I think you'll be able to make the connection.

Any yes, there is a picture of a white wall.