Last February, the artist Zosen Bandido was invited to Jerusalem for the first time to paint one of the biggest murals he has created
As a first timer in the Holy Land, Zosen had many questions regarding the Israeli State, the neighboring countries, their culture, etc. Moreover, he interacted with the locals, asking them about all this. He also visited the cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, where he met Israeli artists who he was able to paint with.
Painting Jerusalem
In addition to discovering the local traditions, Zosen noticed that Israelis had to build their houses by law with a specific white-cream colored stone, which was impossible to paint. Hence, he painted over concrete, on a wall located in a public market in the industrial neighborhood of Talpiot.
A wall without borders
The artist felt a big responsibility to paint in Jerusalem for the first time given the preconceived ideas and prejudices linked to politics and the Israeli military. During his visit, Israel was holding the third elections for prime minister in a year and Zosen heard the young generation’s weariness with the situation. None of the contenders seem to represent the interests of the different people who live in Israel today.
Therefore, Zosen decided to paint a mural for peace, for a future without borders, without prejudices, without paranoia, just with freedom and love.
The piece reflects a sense of globalization, but not in a capitalist sense; the earth is our home and the artist seeks to reflect that in the mural. “We need to share with others, stop being egotistical, and remember history so we don’t repeat the same mistakes,” explains Zosen. These times are even more representative of what the artist is preaching!
Lastly, the mural was produced by Ghostown crew and curated by the Broken Fingaz gang.
