August 20, 2017
SHEEBA RESTAURANT, HAMTRAMCK
by Dasic Fernández
In late 2013 Chilean artist Dasic Fernández was in the Detroit neighborhood of Hamtramck to paint this celebration of Yemeni culture on the side of Joseph Campau Street restaurant, Sheeba. Once a center of Polish American life and the site of a Pope John Paul II visit, in 2015 Hamtramck became the first city in America with a majority Muslim city council. Known for bright colors and graphic compositions, for this work Fernández relied on the Socotra Dragon trees of Yemen as a unifying graphic element, and wove Arab-inspired ornamentation through the work. Fernández believes painting on the street carries both artistic and social responsibility, and with this work Arab America expressed hope his work would “bring national attention to one of the most diverse cities in the country, and showcase the positive role Arabs have played in American life.”  @dasicfernandez
