Beirut – Lebanon, a country of diversity and vigor, with a rich and dark history still echoing on its streets. A population of lost identities, snippets captured through raw street art… That is what the art book ‘Drawing Lines’ depicts in its two hundred page spread, through the works of dozens of graffiti artists found on the streets of Beirut. ‘Drawing Lines’ made its much-awaited debut to a large crowd at Beit Beirut, an iconic space from the Civil War, which houses vivid memories of the distant past.
Each page of ‘Drawing Lines’ tells a different story, through captivating photos of street art across Beirut, coupled with moving commentary, probing into lost Lebanese identity. Artists such as Ashekman, Yazan Halwani, Said Mahmoud and Karim Tamerji, Fish and Benoit Debbane whose works are on public display on various street corners in the capital city, contributed to the art book, and Tamara Zantout, the author and producer of ‘Drawing Lines’, takes viewers on a circular journey that spirals into the core of Lebanese identity.
As citizens of a country that holds many secrets and stories, we are unable to define who we are. We exist in a mélange of cultures, ideologies and backgrounds. For Tamara Zantout, author and producer of Drawing Lines, having lived in London for most of her childhood, she sought to understand her own identity and attachment to Lebanese culture or that which has been idealized in a romanticized notion of nationalism as opposed to the experience of re-entering the Lebanese sphere. The challenge was to adopt a voyeuristic approach to street art whilst maintaining the duality of the detached observer. It was an attempt to understand how different and diverse local and foreign artists communicate Lebanese identity.
“I saw identity through their eyes, and ultimately discovered that there are many lenses of observation, and through that lens I saw many circles of identity, one encompassing the other, as the circle expands so does people’s tolerance towards one another. In a country driven by many external forces; its people pulled at all ends by too much strife, we must all broaden our circle of vision and behold through the eyes of the other. Ultimately, it was a search for unity over discord and a call for an internal revolt against the internalized dogmas that have plagued our society,” says Zantout.
At the launching event at Beit Beirut, hundreds of guests experienced Drawing Lines through colorful installations, photos and paintings, from different street artists, a stark contrast from the torn and bullet hole walls which stood in the backdrop. Artists such as Sandra Kheir Sahyoun, Benoit Debbane, Ashekman, Karim Tamerji, as well as photography by Bernard Khalil and Jad Ghorayeb.
A short film screened on a bullet-ridden wall in an adjacent room, filling the air with the sound of gun shots and nostalgic notes. The film by Nadine Mourad with music score by Eddy Jazra and Tamara Zantout, brings ‘Drawing Lines’ to life, by showcasing the making of the book, and how it all came together.
Drawing Lines is available at Virgin bookstores, Antoine, small bookstores and on www.theurbanfusion.com and will soon be launched internationally.