#rawmarkmaking

نّس بيك

Bitwannes beek / Cherishes your company

JULY 2022 Rabat, Marocco.

From 20/07/2022-31/07/2022 I visited The Magic city Rabat, The capital city of Morocco, where they hold rich cultures and a long history.

I was invited by jidar-streetart for the 7th edition of Jidar Street art Festival to create a public mural in the district of Yaagoub-el-Mansour.

In Early 2022. When Jidar Invited me to the project I asked if it’s ok for me to developed the idea, once I arrive to Rabat.

As I believe with this process, I can create more strong work that responds to the site’s architecture, history, culture and people.

I have been practicing this process from painting a number of abandoned place for it’s shapes and use of the space, and in last few years of public mural project that allowed me to do it.

so the process starts from collecting the inspirations.

22/07/2022

morning after my arrival to Rabat, I met Sarah the Director of the festival and and Jidar organised a Local Assistant Dounia, we went to see the location. and after seeing the location we went for walk around the neighbourhood of Yaagoub-el-Mansour.

behind the mural building (witch is a residencial apartment) there was bunch of flowers I never seen(or maybe not noticed) before, called Bougoinviller.

We walked a bit more around I noticed a lot of carpet/Tapestory was hanged out side of the house.

I took some photos and kept it in the mind later Dounia mentioned some of the designed are very particular to Rabat. after walking around the Yaagoub-el-Mansour, went to the old medina, and bought a hand made wooden chess set, and 5x Old cassette-tapes that had writing saying some musicians known in Morocco, including Warda, Hamid Zaher, Oum Keltoum, also bought some typical herbs to make tea, and fruits.

23/07/2022

more research walks in the morning.

in the evening stayed at hotel to make some idea sketches from what I saw, and learned in last 2 days.

inspired by the shape of the building, and seeing lot of building painted in red and white, I decided to take the tapestry as a main motif, I borough tapestry shape structure, and re-make my version of it by using the local flowers and herbs. I made some drawings of the local floras based on my photos I have been taking last 2 days. and I decided to use Bougoinviller as the central flora motif, I like the interesting leafy flower structure, and it’s blooming at the back of the building where I’m painting, and also I like the fact you see it everywhere in Rabat, also I chose herbs to make tea as a flaming flora. so I made bit more detailed drawing.

25.26.27/07/2022

I have painted off white coloured square little smaller than the wall surface, thats where my tapestry will be painted.

I used long poled generic painting roller extended to 4m, then I started to paint centre motif” Bougoinviller” with the air pumped sprayer filled with proximate 7:3/water:acrylic paint (usually used for gardening to water plants, and sometime spray chemicals.)

I have been using long extension poled rollers, and pumped sprayer when I get to paint large scale wall.

They are both tools that can’t have 100% control when used for painting compared to paint brush or spray paint(as they are not really made for it. but I like using them for number of reason.

1.It’s relatively easy to get anywhere in the world.

2.It has much longer reached comparison to say spray paint, or paint brush, also since they both hold much paint I get to make much longer marks with out refilling(dipping the brush in to the paint)

3.You gain better control by practicing, but still uncontrollableness remains.

I have been asked some times that How I enlarge the image when I paint the large mural.

there are lot of way to do this. and every artist does it differently.

I chose to the tool that has a longer reach, so I can take more distance from the wall, so I can see the bigger picture, with out using the grid, or projector, because for me art and painting was always something that associated with freedom and having fun, and this technic allow me to feel free and get to have fun.

also I like to keep the first strokes visible, because I believe that when it’s done well, it can hold strong energy, and that can be seen by people especially when they see the painting in person.

as I placed the centre flore, I paint the top to make it balanced with the centre one, with my sketch drawing I didn’t have clear image of the direction of the flora. so I picked one the ” Bougoinviller” from the side of the wall move them around in front of the wall to find good angle and take a photo with my phone. every time I’m playing with this process it reminds me of Ikebana(traditional Japanese flower arrangement study)

I have painted the flaming with all the herbal floras that they use in the tea in Rabat, Dounia supervised  me witch ones to pick up from the market near the wall.

The floras as subject, and the tools I use, compliment each other as the flora is such forgiven subject, meaning it does not need to be super athcurate to be looks good, and the tools makes rough but very organic marks by nature.

using the above process I worked for 2days and half to complete the tapestry.

now I just need to think and make a one final layer.    

28/07/2022

Now I have completed the tapestry painting with local flora, and herbs. -Bougoinviller,Sage / Selmia, Mint /  Na3 Na3, Wild Mint / Flio

I wanted to add one more layer probably some letters in the middle, but I didn’t know what to write yet. I wanted to find a phrase that suits to the painting. and something that represent my experience, and interaction with people there.we spoke about the idea for the phrase, I wanted to make some positive phrase, represent welcomeness, togetherness, kindness, sharing and about some sort of connection, because that’s how I experienced Rabat, I ate Tajine together made by one of the stuff on the painting spot. we all sit around the Tajine, and eat from it by hand, the neighbour come with the tea and sweets. people look at me with curios eyes, but as soon as greet them they greets back with big smile, and also the we talked that the tapestry in where family get together in the house also.

I was speaking with the assistant crew about the cassette tape I bought in the fist days. and Dounia mentioned one of the singer Warda Al-Jazairia, in Morocco known as Warda meaning Flower. and I thought that might be perfect to borrow some lines or title of her song for the painting, because I have been painting flower all the last days.

-Warda Al-Jazairia (22 July 1939 – 17 May 2012)was an Algerian singer. She was well known for her Egyptian Arabic songs and music. Her name was sometimes shortened to just Warda (Egyptian Arabic: [ˈwæɾdæ] meaning

she is not from Morocco but her music was widely known and loved by people in morocco.

Dounia told me that her mother used to listen to Warda, and she told me her mothers favourite songs, witch are

-Bitwannas beek / cherishes your company

-Fiyoum wail / in the day and night

-I dream that I love you

I listened to the songs, Her mother told us the “Bitwannas beek” is the most known song.

when we get back tothe painting location, we had Tajin together again with all the crew that Adlfman made on the spot. we talked about the Warda, and other musicians, and soungs, that they like.

We decided that “Bitwannas beek” is the good title. as It is Positive and sweet phrase.

I went up to the wall wrote the Phrase right to left and the mural was completed.

Through this process I learnt something about Rabat, Morocco’s histories, culture, nature, and people live there.

It was a very magical time I spend in Rabat.

Big Thank you to all the jider crew for ongoing hard works. and Dounia for great assistant, and sharing knowledge of her cultures.

“TUTTO PASSA” November 2022

Sant’Elia a Pianisi , Molise, Italy

The first week of November I have paint a exterior wall of town sports hall at Sant’Elia a pianisi where I have moved in 2021 with my partner kelly.

I have painted a natural species of birds and plants that I have been seeing and studying while I have lived here.

Day 1, 2 at the Sant’Elia a pianisi, Italia.

first day I painted the painting section with white.

the day 2 Throughout the wall I painted a birds I have been seeing here and around.

From the left

Falco pellegrino, Corvo(crow), 2x Rondini(sparrow) Gaza ladra(Eurasian magpie)

I like spotting birds everywhere. Here at Sant’Elia a pianisi being on the mountain on the 666m from the sea level, you can spot a lot of birds and they fly majestically.

I used air pressured sprayer mixing water and acrylic paint in side.

I like to painting directly on wall with this tool with out any guide grid or sketch.

This way I can make the decisions as I paint. Painting wall is always different from sketching on the paper,or on computer.

For example For this wall. The top 2 third of wall is on angle so it took me few try to understand how I should paint with out warping the image.

02/11/2022 Day 3 on mural painting at Sant’Elia a pianisi.

I have finished the most of the detail on the birds yesterday, so I start to add some native plants, that I have been seeing around at Sant’Elia the last 2 years.

The plants are places from the left: the plants I saw in the winter, spring, Sumer and autumn.

03/11/2022 day4 of first painting at Sant’Elia a pianisi, Italia

I continued to paint local floras, some oak, some wild Flores I picked while I run on the mountain every morning, and some olives. Olive is one of the most produced plants here in Sant’Elia. Many family have a campagna full of olive tree, and they harvest together with family and friends in every autumn.

After finish. placing all the plants I painted a frame with a two lines, then I decided to sleep over in the last touch for next morning.

04/11/2022 Sant’Elia a Pianisi

Finished photo of the first mural I have painted in the town I live in Italy.

Early morning of 04/11/2021 I painted a final touch to this mural and I wrote a phrase “tutto passa” meaning everything passes. Or everything changes.

“BRIGHT FUTURE FOR CAMBODIA” 

MURAL for Cambodia / Phnom penh, Cambodia February 2022

I have painted this Mural Titled “Bright Future for Cambodia” at Factory Phnom penh as a part of Mural for Cambodia.

Mural for Cambodia is run by FT gallery team, an artist my good friend Fonki Since 2020 I have been having email and phone conversation With Artist Fonki who was born between Cambodian parents in France, and grown up in Montreal now He has been back living and working from Phnom penh, Cambodia.

Since we have got introduced by our mutual friend Sheryo, we have made some degital AR collaboration, and talked about working on some more project together. 

At the end of 2021 Finally we saw the travel restriction into Cambodia has got lifted(With some rules and regulations), He invited me to be a part of a new project He was working on ”Mural for Cambodia” after all the prevention of corona virus regulations and process, I have Finally arrive to Cambodia on 10th February 2022

I have painted a Mural at the Factory phnom penh, inspired by local flora and the statue I saw on the Riverside park along Mekong river, the statue stood out to me as it was a 2 horse man on the horses, usually this kind statue only glorify one person, When we had a artist talk presented by Japan foundation Asia center, one of the audience told us the story, it was a statue of Techo Meas, and Techo yet, 2 commanders from 16-17th centuries. It’s a symbol of encouragement.

After painted the Mural I created 3 glass Painting to make as a light boxes inspired by wild flora I saw around the Phnom penh, Due to the all year warm weather, with only wet and dry season the flora is growing so wide in Phnom penh.

I also Got to meet international Artist who are participating to the project.

such As @tonesrocks , @mauy_msv, @nap_msv, and also some young artist from Cambodia @kimsan_sou @ysk17tatoo@ryysa_atlier

We had chat about their cultural histories, art, and why we paint, how we paint.  

As Fonki’s parents are refugees of the Khmer Rouge genocide in 70s, He has shared some of the histories and stories of Cambodia witch I didn’t know much about, and learned that the Genocide has killed about 1.5-2 million people, and they also targeted lot of artists and intellectuals, to try wipe out the existing culture and build new country.

resulting estimated 90% of them were either excited or exiled.

Fonki is trying to make a bridge between lost generation and current generation through art and public projects, such as a “Mural for Cambodia”

since 5 years from last time I have visited Phnom Penh, the city is changing so quickly, there are so many tall buildings right next to the Street venders.

even for my 2 weeks of stay I have learned a lot about the history of the Cambodia, and made me think a lot of thing.

“FOSSIL OF FORGOTTEN SOCIETY” 

"SUMAC GOLDEN SNAKE" 2018 : TORONTO/CANADA

"FUTURE FORWARD PROJECT"

This is a Video Documentation of ongoing collaborative Educational project with Spoke context from 2021-2022.

"FUTURE FORWARD" is a one of some my most proud project I got to involved thanks to Elif Ucan from Spoke context.

We have been creating public murals, mural, and digital art workshop since 2015.

and "FUTURE FORWARD" is a project we have been working on since 2021.

here is a quote about the project from SPOKE CONTEXT SITE:

"Future Forward: Mit Public Art in die Zukunft is an educational public art initiative with the aim of providing students at middle schools across the state of Bavaria, Germany with an opportunity to gain and practice critical competencies needed to thrive in our world. Future Forward serves as a potent, creativity-based learning environment capable of imparting transformative competencies, meaning the skills and habits of mind, needed to navigate and shape our uncertain and rapidly shifting social, environmental, political and economic ecosystem.

Future Forward affords interactive collaborations between youth and japanese artist, Hiroyasu Tsuri, to create public facing art experiences that enable participants to tangibly enage with global community through digital and analog art making. Our learning interventions are designed to equip young learners with skills and experiences addressing global challenges, while offering an assets-focused premise to exercise autonomous action and real time problem solving.

Future Forward’s multi-faceted, interdisciplinary learning framework enhances young learners’ processes and tools for life beyond school, while supporting a better understanding of themselves, their peers and community. Due to its large-scale and public-facing nature, Future Forward initiatives are inherently civic and offer an outlet for civic voice. To strengthen civic inquiry and engagement throughout interventions, Future Forward employs the Art as Civic Commons learning framework developed by researchers at Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Project Zero to further investigate civic themes and avenues of action.

Future Forward is sponsored by the Cultural Fund for Education, the Ministry of Culture and Education of Bavaria and the Region of Upper Bavaria. In partnership with the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt and Professor Rainer Wenrich, Chair of Arts Education and Art Didactics, Future Forward is accompanied by a scientific research study to investigate learning outcomes and efficacy of interventions.

"TE REO O TANGAROA" (Voice of ocean) in Maori dialogue. 2016 Ahuriri/ New Zealand

“‘t Hoekje “

at Friesmuseum, Leeuwarden, Netherlands, 26/10/2018

Commissioned by Writers block fest.

Subject were collected from Leeuwarden. -Zilvermeeuw -Wild flowers from the street. -The letters on the middle, I stole from the Conner bar near the wall. -Patten from the kelamic titles, and plate. -And little inspiration from a line from Maurits Cornelis Escher Exhibition @friesmuseum “Repetition and multiplication, two simple words,(...)All that we love, learn, recognize and accept is because those two. Curated by great people @writersblockmuralfest Thank you so much for all the support. And thank you for all the beautiful people I met from Leeuwarden to make my visit special! 📸 @jeroen_vdb #rawmarkmaking #twoone #hiroyasutsuri #leeuwarden #friesmuseum