the arabic lettertype is very interesting to play around with... the lettering is originally curvilinear and containing a whole lotta punctuation, accents and extras. its calligraphy is widely malleable and open for bending and mixing making it an extremely graffiti friendly typeface which allows middle-eastern writers to express themselves in their own language through a media that has been typically interpreted as a western art form. although arabic graffiti hasn't yet fully developed and hasn't reached its peak in style and flow in middle eastern countries, due mainly because of its recent apparition in the area. some writers have taken it upon themselves to spread this new kind of graff by painting conceptual pieces rather than just their names. peace messages. promotional campaigns. commercial works. and motivational commissions are some of the ways that arabic writers are using to popularise this phenomenon... a phenomenon that is not yet understood by locals here. here's some examples of what I'm talking about and what they mean under the pics: [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...83917766_100000507545549_245098_1270367_n.jpg "Rish Khila'ak" by Phat2 ACK SDF, Character by Eps ACK rish khila'ak means "spray some steam" (as in blow some steam) in arabic. the character illustrates this concept. it's basically supposed to point out how graffiti is a way for individuals to express themselves, just like any other art form, but because it's a more dynamic kind of art, you have to move your whole body, and you're painting big scale. doing a lot of going back and forth to check your dimensions etc. so it kinda is a stress buster, thus "spray some steam"... have fun, let your mind out and blow some steam. basically channel your stress into art rather than doing something that's harmful [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...501176543467_100000507545549_38097_3215_n.jpg "w er ! " by Phat2 ACK SDF w er ! literally means "and a dick ! " it doesn't really have an explanation in english terms because it doesn't really make sense in that context. but it's basically an exclamation that lebanese guys use in almost 50% of their slang... it's a curse word. almost like when you say "fuck, this burger is awesome" the "fuck" at the beginning of the sentence isn't meant to be an insult... that's how it is with "w er" so I decided to draw what that word really means (a dick) so as to remind people of what they're saying coz they seem to have forgot that this word is an insult... in case you're wondering, this is what the word's typography looks like... it's in the arabic tag under the piece. [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v79/165/20/607825416/n607825416_335551_6321.jpg "Beirut in hakat" by Physh REK ACK it means "if beirut spoke..." if beirut spoke it would tell all kinds of stories, stories of war and battles and bombings, stories of love peace and good ol 70s, endless stories on all kinds of shit it's been through. This piece has become a landmark in the bare center of the industrial area. known and copied by so many cats. served as one of the starting points of lebanese graffiti, at least in my opinion. so mad props to my boy physh [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v79/165/20/607825416/n607825416_335552_6764.jpg "Fish" by Physh REK ACK just his name in arabic [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-ash1/v79/165/20/607825416/n607825416_368127_5587.jpg "a'ib" by Siska REK it means "shame on" in arabic... it points to the fact that they thing of what we're doing is vandalism, something that is looked down upon, we should be ashamed of ourselves ruining society blablabla [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._293749785061_553205061_9155192_3461356_n.jpg "hafiz a'l bi'aa" by M3alim REK it means "watch over the environment" it's an anti-pollution campaign led by a youth center in a significantly polluted area of the city to raise awareness about the subject [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2217/165/91/553205061/n553205061_5720558_8721.jpg [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v376/165/91/553205061/n553205061_4636429_7135.jpg "el m3alim" by M3alim REK just his name in arabic [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v376/165/91/553205061/n553205061_4644170_6293.jpg "Bil Share' ana el malak" by Kimewi it means "In the street, I'm the king" [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v376/165/91/553205061/n553205061_4644167_5755.jpg "Yalla nehre'ha" by Katiba5 crew it means "let's burn it" [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v376/165/91/553205061/n553205061_4644169_6113.jpg "Man huwa al a'rabi" by Pascal Zoghbi means "who is the arab ?" it's a controversy in Lebanon whether we as people are arabs or phoenicians, the debate has been going on for years and years... I guess some lebanese don't like to be refered to as arabs for some reason. not me though :>" [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v376/165/91/553205061/n553205061_4644261_9612.jpg "setteh kaf" by Siska REK setteh = six in arabic six (pronounced "sis" is the number 6 in french) kaf is the letter k (which is pronounced "ka" in french) so in french it says "sis-ka": his name [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v350/165/91/553205061/n553205061_4232013_4227.jpg "badna balad" by M3alim REK it means "we want a country" it seems he's just sick of the situation we had here in 2008, and wants to be in a REAL country already - guess no one's contempt with what they have [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v274/165/91/553205061/n553205061_3695551_9218.jpg "Medmin bas mesh mejrim" by M3alim REK means "an addict but not a criminal". it's another campaign that M3alim took part of that focuses on the idea that drug users are not criminals and should be treated with disrespect and like they were trash, instead we should be helping them out etc. u know.. that kinda shit [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v200/165/91/553205061/n553205061_2342943_4063.jpg "Ajmal Balad... balehoun" by M3alim REK meaning: "it would be the best country... if they weren't here" he's talking about politicians... them damn corrupt politicians ruining our beautiful country. according to M3alim, everything's their fault. [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-ash1/v189/165/91/553205061/n553205061_2481396_2482.jpg "La arzak mnetwahad" by M3alim it means "for your cedars, we unite" a praise for the lebanese population's unification. a hope of the writer that they'd put their differences aside and just unite for the sake of our country's cedar - the cedar, our national tree, a symbol of endurance and strength. it lives on and on for hundreds and hundreds of years and no force can detach it from its roots [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-ash1/v231/165/91/553205061/n553205061_2635586_7318.jpg "Jawwa3touna" by M3alim another rant by the guy, aimed at the politicians, saying "you put us in famine" because of all their lies and stealing of our taxes... [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-ash1/v231/165/91/553205061/n553205061_2642515_8754.jpg "Sha'eb Ne'sen" by M3alim means "sleepy heads" he's talking about this new generation and how sleepy these boys and girls always are. He wants them to wake/get the fuck up and do something instead of just sitting their asses at home all day doing nothing but watching TV, playing video games and surfing the web and eating... ugh I know, that's a lotta talking... I'll add some more photos and infos about the subject later on as ideas come to me hehe
this post contains works by the Ashekman soldiers, they're twin rappers. got 2 albums out and shit, well known here for their arabic rap. in the graff scene, they're known to only paint arabic pieces, which make them perfect candidates for this thread... a little 411 on them, they were 3 guys in their crew: Carbon, Mejrim Kaleim (Lyrical Assassin in arabic), and another dude who never settled for a name, and just tagged whatever name he could think of (don't ask me why, we never figured it out even though we've known him for 2 years) but we call him Abe... anyway, at a certain point around last year Abe got sick of doing just arabic graff the whole time so he decided to leave Ashekman and join REK instead. and in my opinion, their works started falling backwards ever since... the way I see it, turns out that Abe was the whole driving force behind their crew. anywho, enough talk FLICKS: [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-ash1/v215/174/21/517186292/n517186292_992354_1794.jpg [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._132614511040_505376040_3330113_7260234_n.jpg [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._160378841040_505376040_3855397_7480184_n.jpg [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._160378831040_505376040_3855396_3721256_n.jpg All these say "Ashekman" [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-ash1/v105/232/80/505376040/n505376040_590046_6565.jpg Fann Sheri'i (Street Art) [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v153/232/80/505376040/n505376040_709747_7193.jpg Robot [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-ash1/v153/232/80/505376040/n505376040_725290_2957.jpg El 'ouyoun 'a Beirut (All eyes on Beirut) [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v171/232/80/505376040/n505376040_833630_3013.jpg Lsheri' elna (The street's ours) [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v171/232/80/505376040/n505376040_871533_3250.jpg Ashekmante'te (Ashek-my-turf) [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v194/232/80/505376040/n505376040_962865_7237.jpg Takati (My energy) [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v260/232/80/505376040/n505376040_1493546_8507.jpg Moulouk L le'be (Kings of the game) [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v336/174/21/517186292/n517186292_1790384_2410.jpg Ihene harfiyye (Litteral insult) [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v834/232/80/505376040/n505376040_2199932_3772.jpg Hip hop [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...9_86021606040_505376040_2708544_7382872_n.jpg Ghazza fi kalbi (Gaza in my heart) [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._160378826040_505376040_3855395_6689629_n.jpg Bishaghaf (with passion) [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...0_178916896040_505376040_4118501_852568_n.jpg Al hitan 'am tehkine (The walls are talking to me) [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._279023526292_517186292_4916025_6967481_n.jpg Graffiti men beirut (graffiti from beirut)
[Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...547093963234_1411594558_1511105_7007747_n.jpg
Its all very interesting. But probably more so if you can read arabic. Otherwise its just fancy shapes. If you know what I mean.
ye ronathon i gotchu. that's what's interesting about it if u ask me... a person that doesn't speak arabic just sees the shapes and not the letters I'd say that's a change of pace to not be able to recognize any english letters at all and sech, what does that say?
this stuff is pretty crazy not going to lie is it more detailed if u could like read it? like if u spoke that langauage?
stigma yeah u can read it if u spoke the lang, of course, just like english speaking people can read english-letter graff sech, word but where's the second m? and that thing sticking out of the top of the d is making it look like a lam-alef (la)
there is a plenty of ways to write a single arabic letter depending on what kinda arabic handstyle that u use also depending on the position of the letter if it was the first letter in the word it will look a lot different than the same letter in the middle of the word....(complicated)
most of the arabic graffiti writers are toys about, 90% of them. and those who are really really good only use there talent to write calligraphy. [Broken External Image]:http://www.masjidhamza.org.uk/wp-content/random-gallery/islamic-calligraphy.jpg
Hey sech can you read Arabic? I punched Duke & Duke One into a English to Arabic translator, wondering if it came out correct Duke أ. دوق, نبيل, كرز, يد Duke One ديوك واحدة Wanna try my hand at this
i can do a handstyle for ya am not that good in calligraphy but i still have a decent arabic handtyle.
ahh, excellent comment... allow me to explain (Keep in mind that the order is right to left) ديوك ا ^that's the right one I'll hook u up with this: [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...88966432_100000507545549_331031_6575393_n.jpg now, since it's a person's name, you don't write it differently... you write it the way it sounds exactly, coz it can't mean different things in another language so your name is pronounced "dyook" ---> that's a "d" and a "y" and a "oo" and a "k" this is the arabic "D" the "you" is made up of two sounds, the "y" (or "i" same thing in arabic) and the "oo" the "i" -when used in the middle of a word- can look like either one of the last two on the right in the flick below (ignore the blue line): [Broken External Image]:http://www.learnlangs.com/RWP/Arabic/images/yaa2.gif but since the "D" never connects to a letter that's placed after it in the word, it'll look like the last one on the right (in the flick above). otherwise we'd have choosen the third "i" from the left this is the arabic "oo" (ignore the blue line again) [Broken External Image]:http://www.learnlangs.com/RWP/Arabic/images/waaw.gif and this is the arabic "k" so your four arabic letters that spell "duke" in arabic are called the "dal" (that's the D - in red), the "ya" (that's the Y - in purple), the "waw" (that's the OO - in green), and the "kaf" (that's the K - in blue) : [Broken External Image]:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...98965961_100000507545549_331039_5045104_n.jpg and the rest are just extensions and extras like the halo, the quotes and the number 1 that's on the word's LEFT (remember arabic is written right to left) Hope I elaborated enough Aesir, here's why it looks bad:
yea i like the handstlyes more than anything... more than ANY handstlyes ive seen in any other language hah... tell me how to write consume!
ديوك واحد is kinda like the same letters of ur name in arabic but if u want the meaning it is نبيل ,دوق