Otro día más en la oficina

Those good things at Middle East #6

Can’t get enough of this macro lens. Dead giant wasp found in my studio

Mission accomplished.
One of my goals during my year of residency in Tashkeel was to paint a mural in the streets of Dubai.
In any other country, everything probably would have been easier but here graffiti or street art or whatever is heavily punished, actually I think this is the first and only mural that exists in the UAE (someone correct me if I’m wrong).

The process has not been easy. Since consequences of being busted painting here are no joke (and you need more than 10 minutes to paint this, set up a cherry picker, etc) you need a permission.
So after locating the spot by Jumeirah Beach Road (Anna!) we had to talk with the owner of the building, who luckily was open for the project since the first moment. Then with his ok, the Tashkeel crew were struggling with Dubai authorities day by day until we finally got their OK a few months later.

Keeping in mind that sedentary lifestyle is a big issue in this city, as well as the crazy unsustainability that involves most of its massive projects, I wanted this artwork, a local guy riding a bicicamel instead of a polluting car, while eating some healthy stuff, to be a wake up call for simplicity and sustainability to all the people living here (applicable to hundreds of other countries). I’m not really expecting any change with this, but that’s the message.

After spending the whole night painting this, I passed by the next day to take some photos and to speak with the neighbors about it (mostly shops and cafeterias). They look excited about it, even though they were kind of reluctant when they saw me painting the first lines. Late night visitors after closing their stores were also rewarded for their support with a quick lift in the cherry picker or with a few shots of spray on his guetto car to hide some scratches.
Now I’m getting free haircuts and lemon-mints on the area.

Big ups to Tashkeel: Bakhita, Haiya and Lateefa. Thanks for your company Jill, Sameena, Khaled and neighbors.

For your information, this is a personal project. There’s no brands nor any kind of payment related to this wall (or any others). Hope you like it Dubai peeps and i hope this will open doors for more public art projects.

Peace out!
R.

Got some new fresh prints out of Tashkeel’s kitchen: “Al lío”. Edition of 20 screenprints, 2 colors, 64x90cm. Signed and numbered.
Drop me a line if you’re interested

As part of the public programme Artscape: Cultures in Dialogue, I created this wall in Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi as part of the Birth of a Museum exhibition public program.

I wanted an unusual wall to gather different artistic elements from different cultures and ages, just like [the Birth of a Museum] exhibition does… making them coexist through the same style and same colors.

If you look closely, you can find elements from the Birth of a Museum exhibition like the Rooster, the Eagle-shaped fibula from Domagnano, The Gyspy by Édouard Manet or the Lion-shaped aquamanile among others.

Once upon a time, some 5 panel caps were designed for The DC Embassy skatepark, today the reward is on my head finally woop woop

My homie Edu lent me his macro lens telling me “tienes que tirar fotos a tus movidas con esto, ya verás como te mola…” (you gotta shoot your stuff with this, you’re gonna love it..) 
After some weeks getting dust in my desk, I decided to use it.
It’s amazing to see the different textures:
01: 150x170cm spray on canvas
02: 150x170cm spray on canvas
03: Custom money note
04 & 06: Acrylic on recycled wood
05: Keyboard
07-09: Sketchbook

Thanks bro, you were right. 

Back in the desert

One last piece before leaving Barcelona, a skateboarder shaman in an abandoned factory.

Great news today

Me gusta cuando callas porque estas como absenta.
Barcelona 2013

Javier Sarmiento trying to match his griptape face with the curb face via nosebluntslide. Jesus Fernandez approves.

Riding Barcelona for a few days

Style is the message

Back home for some days, and there’s no better welcome than an event where you paint, skate and party with all your friends you don’t see from long time.
Location was sick, in the industrial port of Barcelona with guetto handmade skate spots and containers as canvas.  It was almost impossible to paint “el hombre codo” on that container due to the wind, also the surface didn’t help but we did what we could. Check out also that huge face by Txemy, dope isn’t it? Octavio Barrera, Fernando Elvira, Javier Mendizabal and Adrian Blanca put their art all over the place too.
Gotta say thanks to Pali, Vice and Cons. Good stuff.

He’s absolutely right.

You don’t have this kind of visits every day… Half man-half bird-full legend, Mr. Tony Hawk

Those good things at Middle East #5