Keizer | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Egyptian |
| Known for | Public art, stenciling, street art, graffiti |
Keizer is the pseudonym of an anonymous Egyptian street artist and graffiti artist whose work has gained popularity and notoriety in Egypt following the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. Keizer is reportedly a 33-year-old male who creates street art in Cairo full-time. [1]
Little is known about Keizer's early life, as the artist (identified as a male) has taken steps to protect his identity. He has been photographed wearing a hooded sweatshirt while creating his artwork in order to impede identification. [2]
Political street art was not common in Egypt prior to the 2011 revolution, however it has proliferated in public spaces in the post-revolution era. Artwork targeting the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, or SCAF, in particular has surged in popularity since the revolution because, according to The Christian Science Monitor, such "anti-military graffiti is a reflection of Egyptian activists’ frustration with the military rulers, who they say replaced one autocracy with another." [3] Keizer has noted that, although much of his work is political in nature, much of it is also ambiguous or apolitical. The artist has said that, "The whole point is that it’s up to you to think and make up your own conclusions ... And a lot of people here aren’t used to making their own conclusions — they’re used to being told what to think." [4] Keizer has been described as an Arab nationalist, and much of his artwork targets capitalism and imperialism. [5] Kaizer's hijacking of international corporations' logos represents a critique of consumerism though the visual and textual messages depicted, in addition to his choice of the easily duplicated stencil technique that can be interpreted as an additional subversion of the invasive advertising campaigns that these companies usually conduct. [6]
Keizer's artistic style has been noted as reminiscent of that of Banksy and Shepard Fairey. The text accompanying his images is both Arabic and English. [7] When asked about the use of English in his artwork, Keizer has said that it is "Definitely to attack the upper echelons of society". [8]
Among the images stenciled by Keizer in public spaces in Egypt are images of ants. The artist writes on his website that "The ant symbolizes the forgotten ones,the silenced, the nameless,those marginalized by capitalism. They are the working class,the common people,the colony that struggles and sacrifices blindly for the queen ant and her monarchy. Ants are devoted,dedicated workers,they cooperate, organize,delegate,and put themselves first in the line of danger and duty. Under appreciated and ruled,they receive and expect no reward for their efforts,toil and struggle..."
Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based street artist, political activist, and film director, active since the 1990s. His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti executed in a distinctive stenciling technique. His works of political and social commentary have appeared on streets, walls, and bridges throughout the world. Banksy's work grew out of the Bristol underground scene, which involved collaborations between artists and musicians. Banksy says that he was inspired by 3D, a graffiti artist and founding member of the musical group Massive Attack.
The coat of arms of Egypt is a golden eagle looking towards the viewer's left (dexter).
Street art is unofficial and independent visual art created in public locations for public visibility. Street art is associated with the terms "independent art", "post-graffiti", "neo-graffiti", and guerrilla art.
Meek is a notable street artist operating out of Melbourne, Australia, and specialising in the subgenre of stencil graffiti.
Human rights in the post-Mubarak transition have been the subject of concern and controversy since the 2011 Egyptian revolution. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) Arabic: المجلس الأعلى للقوات المسلحة, al-Maǧlis al-ʾAʿlā lil-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥah in particular have been the focus of concerns about human rights violations. The SCAF, which consists of a body of 20 senior officers in the Egyptian military, was handed the power to govern Egypt after the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak on 11 February 2011 as a consequence of the revolution.
Islamic graffiti is a genre of graffiti created by people with a Muslim background. Containing social themes, this type of art finds expression in a variety of forms. The most common languages used are English and Arabic. Like all other forms of art, graffiti can serve as a medium for instigating political or social change, or as a form of self-expression.
Dolk, is the pseudonym of Norway's most recognized stencil artist, Andreas Hamran Færø. His motives are often pop-cultural references put into a humoristic or critical context. Dolk's works can be seen on walls in cities such as Bergen, Berlin, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Oslo, Lisbon, Stockholm, London, Prague and Melbourne. Since 2006, Dolk has stepped into galleries where he has had several exhibitions.
Ganzeer is the pseudonym used by an Egyptian artist who has gained mainstream fame in Egypt and internationally following the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. Prior to the revolution, Ganzeer's popularity was widespread yet limited to the spheres of art and design. Ganzeer's artwork has touched on the themes of civic responsibility and social justice and has been critical of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, or SCAF, which has ruled Egypt since the February 2011 resignation of former president Hosni Mubarak. Ganzeer means "chain" in Arabic. He is a regular contributor to the online magazine Rolling Bulb. Described by Bidoun Magazine as a "Contingency Artist," Ganzeer is quite accustomed to adopting completely new styles, techniques, and mediums to adapt to the topic he is tackling at any given time. The Huffington Post has placed him on a list of "25 Street Artists from Around the World Who Are Shaking Up Public Art," while Al-Monitor.com has placed him on a list of "50 People Shaping the Culture of the Middle East." He is one of the protagonists in a critically acclaimed documentary titled Art War by German director Marco Wilms. Ganzeer was also cited by German Arte as one of Egypt's highest-selling living artists today.
El Teneen is the pseudonym of an anonymous 29-year-old Egyptian street artist and graffiti artist whose work has gained popularity and notoriety in Egypt following the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. El Teneen originally formed one half of the pair "Team El Teneen", or "Dragon Team"; however, the artist now works primarily independently. His works of art have been described as "icons of the 25 January revolution."
Chico is the pseudonym of an anonymous Egyptian street artist and graffiti artist whose work has gained popularity and notoriety in Egypt following the 2011 Egyptian Revolution.
Hend Kheera is an Egyptian street artist whose work features a mix of stencils and slogans. She is one of the leaders of Egypt's street-art boom since the 2011 uprising. Kheera has been an active participant in anti-sexual harassment campaign in Egypt in response to Mass sexual assault in Egypt
Slave Labour is a mural that was painted by a British graffiti artist, Banksy, on the side wall of a Poundland store in Wood Green, London in May 2012. The artwork is 48.03 inches (122 cm) high by 59.84 inches (152 cm) wide, and depicts an urchin child at a sewing machine assembling a bunting of Union Jack patches. The work was a protest against the use of sweatshops to manufacture Diamond Jubilee and London Olympics memorabilia in 2012.
Aya Tarek is an Egyptian artist from the city of Alexandria. Tarek's mediums are primarily street art or graffiti and paint. Although street art in Egypt gained much international attention after the 2011 revolution, Tarek began sharing her street art on the walls of Alexandria in 2008, when she was 18. Tarek also produces indoor murals which she feels helps her in to be taken more seriously as an artist. However, she utterly stresses the importance of street art because it is accessible to anyone to take whatever they may need to from the work.
Contemporary art in Egypt is a term used to refer to visual art, including installations, videos, paintings, orsculptures, developed in the Egyptian art scene. While the contemporary art scene is mainly concentrated in Cairo and Alexandria, it is developing fast with the emergence of spaces for artists, and support from the public or from abroad. Many Egyptian artists use the Egyptian contemporary art scene as a ramp toward the international art scenes.
Sampsa is a pseudonymous Finnish street artist, political activist, and painter, whose known works have appeared in Helsinki, Palermo, New Orleans, and Paris. Referred to as the 'Finnish Banksy', his works have at times been mistaken for Banksy's. Sampsa's work is distinguished for its focus on political activism, launching citizen's initiatives as an integral component of his work. He has also innovated in the creation of removable street art, painting on tiles and canvases made of industrial fabrics, and mounting them on the street. Sampsa's first known public artworks emerged in Helsinki, and coincided with his starting a Finnish popular movement for a more fair copyright law.
Alaa Awad is an Egyptian artist and muralist based in Luxor, Egypt.
Women on Walls is a public art project in Egypt aimed at empowering women through the use of street art, by encouraging the portrayal of strong Egyptian female figures in street art and empowering female street artists themselves to participate in the political space of graffiti. Building on the popularity of street art as a form of political expression during the January 25 revolution, the aim of this project is to increase awareness of women's issues by introducing women into public space. This project was co-founded by Mia Gröndahl, a Swedish street art documentarian, and Angie Balata, an Egyptian artist, in December 2012 with funding from the Danish Center for Culture and Development, and was launched with a month-long event in the Spring of 2013 in Cairo, Luxor, Alexandria, and Mansoura that included painting sessions, workshops, and lectures on topics ranging from art to women's issues more generally. The project held its second campaign in February 2014.
Ammar Abo Bakr is a well-known muralist and graffiti artist in Egypt. His work depicts the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, portraits, Egyptian history, and Egyptian pop culture. Throughout the revolution, Ammar Abo Bakr painted amidst resistance from the police force, which would cover his art with white paint as a sign of criminal justice. His work often challenges government regimes or injustices and is most famously found on Mohamed Mahmoud Street. However, it can also be seen in other places in Cairo, Alexandria, Beirut, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne and Frankfurt. In an interview with Sarah Mousa of Jadaliyya, Abo Bakr said, "...While we [artists] strongly oppose the military and want to mark that stance, we love the people and would also like to present art to the people... I want to present something of beauty to people who can see it, see that their streets have beautiful murals and feel joy. Abo Bakr currently also works with other artists on murmurous projects within and outside Egypt. "
The Eagle of Saladin, in Egypt known as the Egyptian eagle, also known as the Republican Eagle, is a heraldic eagle used as an iconic symbol of Egypt. It is currently also used as part of coat of arms of Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, and of the Southern Transitional Council of South Yemen.
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