Graffiti Tiles: Restoring Faith in Humanity One Wall At a Time

Halim Hanna, the artist behind this beautiful faux-tile graffiti, has never actually graffiti’d before.

Tweep @1mazenkhaled tweeted Hanna’s creation with the words “Awesome ‘graffiti’ in HAMRA. Kudos to effort of one person trying to make his street look better.”



Tired of seeing rampant profanities drawn on his way to work, Hanna decided to take matters in his own hands. With the aid of youtube and stencils, he copied the tile pattern from his neighbor’s kitchen after his sister Natalie proposed the idea. “I always used to paint the wall white but people would graffiti insults and profanities right over them,” remarked Hanna, “It’s just something nice to see on your way out in the morning.”

With the aid of his concierge, Jalal, Hanna created gorgeous wall art on Sitt Nasab Alley entirely out of good faith. Stating that the art was a group effort – including Jalal, Natalie, and neighbor Rima – Hanna enthused that the tile pattern was Lebanese in origin, and thus would be appreciated by all: “Why not put something that speaks to everyone? We are all Lebanese.”

It’s stuff like this that makes me feel so much better about the world. Halim Hanna, thank you for being awesome.