2015

In one of her articles, Argentine researcher Anaí Felisu Marino, who studies the relationship between art and politics, wrote:

“The walls painted by the Yemeni artist Murad Subay and his companions represented an extension of Change Square—an extension of the street’s engagement with politics, which began in early 2011.”

On this very day, three years ago, I launched the “Color the Walls of Your Street” campaign, calling upon Yemenis—men and women alike—to paint the walls of our streets that had been disfigured by bullets and bombs from warring factions. At the time, I had no idea that I was "engaging in politics." On the contrary, I was resisting a kind of politics that had pointed the barrels of its guns at both our walls and our collective psyche. In truth, neither “Color the Walls of Your Street” nor the campaigns that followed—The Walls Remember Their Faces and 12 Hours—had anything to do with politics in the conventional sense, and certainly not with street-level politics, were it not for one essential factor: people’s participation.

The participation of people is difficult to define in words, but to put it simply—it is the exact opposite of the politics we see on television screens, read in newspapers, browse online, or feel etched into the features of our capital and cities. The participation of people in these mural campaigns revealed a different face of the nation—one untainted by power struggles and political maneuvers.

Three years have passed since the launch of “Color the Walls of Your Street.” During these years, Yemen has endured some of the most difficult phases of its political transformation—culminating in the violence and heightened tension that erupted in September 2014. Since 2011, Yemenis have struggled through instability, insecurity, and daily hardships, confronting these challenges at times with optimism, and at others with despair and resignation.

As for me—a regular citizen with limited understanding of many things, including art—it was the public’s engagement in mural campaigns such as Open Book by my friend Tammam Al-Shaibani and Street Caricature by my friend Thi Yazan Al-Alawi, that served as a clear sign of the Yemeni people's enduring resistance and optimism—an unwavering hope in realizing their dream of a civil state.

In June 2014, just before Yemen plunged into one of the most turbulent and violent political transitions, the 12 Hours campaign came to a close. Since then, although the artistic activities never truly ceased, people’s attention had been diverted toward the escalating crisis of September 2014. They began living in the shadow of uncertainty—gripped by anxiety and clinging to prayers for relief.

And amid such unfavorable circumstances, March 15, 2015, happened to mark the third anniversary of the Color the Walls of Your Street campaign. Initially, I hesitated to call for commemorating this anniversary. I feared that recent events had exhausted whatever resistance and hope remained within people—or so I imagined.

But I was mistaken.

On March 15, 2015, I went ahead and announced the event, under the theme: “A Day for Art and Humanity.” Once I revealed the time and place, my friends—faithful as always—stood at the front lines, just as they had done for the past three years. They were joined by many others: young men and women, children, adults, and elders. Countless faces approached the walls that day—some to paint, others to observe or engage in conversation. There were many faces, even more hands, infinite colors—and yet one wall. Your wall, my country.

We know that the echo of bullets and bombs on our walls will fade far sooner than the colors we lay upon them. We know that the faces that approached with brushes were far more beautiful than those who came with guns, and that the hands that reached for the wall today were gentler—more compassionate.

Believe me, my homeland: whenever we find ourselves besieged by walls other than yours, we will return to you—even if only once a year.

With deep gratitude, profound appreciation, and utmost respect to everyone who took part in today’s wall-painting event.

A special and heartfelt thank you to the children.

May you all remain forever a source of art and humanity.

Photos of the event