New Mural Unveiling by Art of Change

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Jul 2019

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Activities Beirut Suburb Outdoor New Mural Unveiling by Art of Change Lebanon

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NEW 120 sqm Mural Pays Homage to dying craft of "MOBAYADEEN" and one of the oldest families of Ras Beirut.

Sub Headline: Art Of Change By Ahla Fawda adding culture and homage to a dying profession and Ras Beirut's oldest families.

A New Mural facilitated by Art of Change / Ahla Fawda and in partnership with RAWA Engineering - a Lebanese family owned, Beirut based construction and contracting company-, unveiled on Friday 12th July at Shehab 2154 building, strategically located on the crossroads of Tannoukhiyen and Kuwait Street, Abu Taleb area, Ras Beirut. The event took place under the patronage of the Minister of Culture, Dr. Mohammed Daoud and the Governor of Beirut, Ziad Chebib.

International Street Artist, Simple G has been flown in to Beirut to create a new 120sq metre mural that pays homage to the Shehab family, one of the oldest Ras Beirut families and one of the last "Mobayedeen"- brass pan polishers- in Lebanon, Abdul Razak Shehab, who died in 2014 at the age of 85 years.

RAWA Engineering owned by the family of three sons and led by the father Yasser Noureddine, is responsible for the construction of the building that will host the mural, and the idea of a mural, and the Greek, Athens based artist, Simple G interpreted what they had in mind through his own visual. Simple G has been painting murals since 2009 in Greece and Europe.

The mural honours the Shehab men who gave many years of their life to this historical tradition, and pays homage to the craft, that has since been lost, by highlighting the craftsmanship in the portrait. The mural will hang on the wall of the building owned by the Shehab family, and the children of Abdul Razak Shehab, for all the public to see and reconnect with their history.

Mobayedeen in Arabic represents the labour intensive skill by artisans who would repair and polish the old brass pans in the day. Today it is believed only a handful of this traditional craftsmanship existsThe polishing begins with cleaning the posts with sand and cotton soaked in acid, they are then placed on a high fire which allows the pewter to melt and coat the pots. The pots are then polished with cotton soaked in chloride aluminium which whitens the pots, and finally the pots are placed in cold water.

This is the fifth building worked on by Ahla Fawda Art of Change, and the fifth mural completed within a space of two months.

Ahla Fawda Art of Change movement has been instrumental in promoting vibrant public art and creating murals around Lebanon since 2015. Art of Change collaborates with many sought after international and Lebanese artists and is one of the main driving forces behind coloring Lebanon's streets as part of the beautification initiatives and with the aim of giving every citizen access to art and culture and enriching lives and alleviating mindsets.Art Of Change started by Ahla Fawda and the London based, international organization Where Theres Walls. The Art of Change is a project committed to empowering people and communities through the promotion of art and all the positive benefit art can bring.

The murals have been made possible through funding by RAWA Engineering and our sponsor Tinol.