Design
How Street Art Took Off in the Suburbs of Tunis
Artists in and around Tunisia’s capital walk a fine line between self-expression and caution.
Eighteen-year-old Sarrah Laajimi points at a woman’s face she painted on the wall of a youth center in Ezzahra, one of the southern suburbs of Tunis, Tunisia’s capital. The high-school student is part of 4 Street Family, a group of 25 graffiti artists, dancers, beatboxers, and filmmakers.
“I used to only draw on paper,” she says. “But then we saw street art abroad on social media, and decided to try it, too. The great thing about it is that everyone who passes by can see it.”