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Bahraini street artist Huvil, who has made his mark across the region with gigantic graffiti work and brightly hued murals, has launched his own shop in Gudaibiya with the aim of raising awareness about the popular paint style as well as adding splashes of colour and positivity throughout the community.
Colormaze is a painter’s paradise as it’s stocked from top to bottom with the latest and best branded sprays and markers used to transform dusty old walls, lamp posts and other surfaces into shiny and shimmering pieces of art.
The 28-year-old air traffic controller is thrilled with his new colour haven and he hopes that his range of cool and neon shades will encourage others to pick up the art form as well as change people’s mindset about graffiti.
Huvil, originally named Mahmood Al-Shargawi, said: “I am excited about the shop and can’t wait for other artists to start picking up the paints as well. Painting, whether out in the street or from your home, is a great way to relieve stress and create something beautiful in the process. I wanted to give others an outlet with the best paints and sprays possible in order to create and properly express themselves.
“I am the exclusive distributor for Montana Colours that have sprays and paints for graffiti work and can be used for fine art. Also when people come by the street art hub, they are free to ask questions about techniques and graffiti. I want to change people’s perception about street art.”
Graffiti is usually unsanctioned artwork executed outside of the context of traditional art venues. The urban or guerrilla art style can be spray painted, stenciled or stuck on or even created as a street installation. Video projection and yarn bombing have also gained some popularity near the turn of the 21st century.
Over the years, street artists used to hide in the shadows or scale different buildings and heights during the day to paint on a range of properties and surfaces. Now, these same artists are earning international attention for their work and have made a full transition from street art into the mainstream art world — some while continuing to produce art on the streets. Keith Haring, for example, was among the earliest wave of street artists in the 1980s to do so.
Anonymous England-based graffiti artist Banksy also changed people’s mind about street art and his work has become one of the sights to see in many European cities. Some artists now provide tours of local street art and are able to share their knowledge, explaining the ideas behind many works, the reasons for tagging and the messages portrayed in a lot of graffiti work. Berlin, London, Paris, Hamburg and other cities all have popular street art tours running all year round.
Aside from that, traditional graffiti and street art motifs have increasingly been incorporated into advertising, with many instances of artists contracted to work as graphic designers for corporations.
Graffiti artist Haze has provided font and graphic designs for music acts such as the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. Shepard Fairey’s street posters of former US president Barack Obama were reworked by special commission for use in the presidential campaign. A version of the artwork also appeared on the cover of Time magazine.
Huvil said: “In the past, people saw graffiti as vandalism with negativity usually scribbled, sketched or painted on buildings across the island. Street art doesn’t have to be reckless and rude. It can be beautiful and positive, bringing joy to residents and tourists. There are so many street artists around the world such as Tunisian eL Seed who came to Bahrain and will always be remembered for his colourful art work. Now when people drive by Bahrain Bay, for example, they will know eL Seed was there as his Arabic graffiti calligraphy has added colour to the development’s utility buidlings.
“My aim is to help build a better graffiti community. It’s already growing in Saudi Arabia and around the world. I want to get rid of the negativity attached to street art and show that it can be a respectful and uplifting art form that will make people smile rather than cringe. I hope more artists join this art field and help change the image of street art in Bahrain.”
Huvil, who is an illustrator and graphic designer, first picked up graffiti in 2007 by accident when he was sketching on an A4 piece of paper in his bedroom and ran out of space on the sheet itself. Having no more paper lying around, he decided to continue his vision by sketching it on his bedroom wall with a pencil. A friend visiting from London caught a glimpse of his room and suggested that he gets into the world of graffiti and the rest was history.
“He showed me some street art online and I was hooked,” said Huvil. “I was so excited that two days later I painted my first wall ever using a spray can. I loved that it was something new, it was challenging and due to the space given and the paints…there are no limits to what you can do!
“Plus, when you paint on the side of a building it’s for everyone to take notice and simply to help brighten up someone’s day. It gets people talking and most of the time in a good way. Also, it helps me unwind and I am turning a dull looking building or piece of architecture into something more uplifting and beautiful.
“I don’t just paint either. I love calligraphy the most but it’s with a twist. I basically break down Arabic calligraphy and twist the letters to create my own style of Arabic calligraphy. I usually use Arabic traditions as inspiration in my art work.”
Huvil’s graffiti work, which can be spotted around the island, quickly gained recognition throughout the region. He has been commissioned by various organisations such as telecommunication giants and fitness facilities to paint large murals in Bahrain and abroad. His art can also be found in Lebanon, Malaysia, UK, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He even painted more than six murals at Al Riwaq Art Space and has staged workshops to educate aspiring artists at Red Bull’s creative space, Malja in Amwaj Islands, and also at Bahrain’s General Organisation for Youth and Sports Youth City 2030.
He even collaborated on a Guinness World Record-winning project in Dubai.
Huvil said: “I was one of the 180 artists from around the globe participating in painting the longest graffiti wall in the world. The 2.2454km-long wall is located at Jumeirah Beach Park. I was able to meet a lot of my favourite international artists. I painted with them and it truly was an amazing experience for me.
“However, while that will always be a memorable moment for me, one project I will never forget is Winners Football Centre where I had to climb four levels of scaffolding with nothing but one light and a generator during the hot humid summer. It was all worth it in the end. Like I said…no limits and endless messages of positivity.”
To find out more about Huvil’s art, contact him at 33377883, follow him on Instagram @huvil, @colormaze.bh or email him on colormaze.bh@gmail.com
