If you found yourself in Palestinian territory in April last year and saw a group of youngsters enthusiastically painting and making grafitti on the walls, we hope you weren't be alarmed – class was just in session.
In April 2012, the elusive street artist HuskMitNavn visited Palestine to take in the culture, see the sights, and teach a class of vibrant students to try their hands at street art. He also came face to face with the infamous West Bank Wall, and just like any brave and self-respecting street artist would, he left his mark and his thoughts on it.
The West Bank Wall has become a symbol for many Palestinian residents for the stringency of society, and this is something that has attracted the most stalwart street artists around the world. In the city of Ramallah, residents welcome grafitti on their public and home walls, but in turn expect the message to be sympathetic to their struggle. Artists like Banksy and HuksMitNavn have set foot in Ramallah and set their spray cans and brushes to its walls.
On his last stay in Palestine, HuskMitNavn gave a talk on his work and his career as a street artists to a lively class at the Palestinian Art Academy. Later on, they expressed their interest in learning how to paint a big wall. This was a request that took the Danish artist by surprise, but he gladly began creating some sketches, and asked everyone to brainstorm and come up with ideas. Soon, the students were a-buzz and busy painting all sorts of huge red hands along a wall while their teacher happily painted one of his iconic characters to one side.
HuskMitNavn's trip to Ramallah was a success, with a cab driver on a magic carpet, a wall of hands, and a class of happy artists to show for it.
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