Share

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 3 images

Follow the Authors

Don STONE Karl

Basma Hamdy

Walls of Freedom: Street Art of the Egyptian Revolution Hardcover – May 1, 2014

by Don STONE Karl (Author), Basma Hamdy (Author), Ahdaf Soueif (Foreword)

28 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$768.57

$644.53

Hardcover, May 1, 2014

—

Hardcover
from $700.00

3 Collectible from $700.00

"Walls of Freedom" is a powerful portrayal of the first three years of the Egyptian revolution that began on January 25, 2011.The story is told through striking images of art that transformed Egypt's walls into a visual testimony of bravery and resistance. Created in close collaboration with artists on the frontlines of the battle, the book documents how they converted the streets into a dynamic newspaper of the people, providing a much needed alternative to the propaganda-fueled media.

This comprehensive survey of iconic street art of the Egyptian revolution includes a chronicle of the day-to-day volatile political situation as it rapidly unfolded. "Walls of Freedom" traces the revolutionary journey, from the early pinnacle of extraordinary hope and inspiration, to its decline into today's violent Orwellian nightmare. Haunting images of key events captured by acclaimed photographers and activists set the stage for this political drama. Enriched with essays by artists and experts across many fields, Walls of Freedom contextualizes the graffiti in the historical, socio-political, and cultural backgrounds that have shaped this art of the revolution.

Print length

240 pages
Language

English
Publisher

From Here to Fame
Publication date

May 1, 2014
Dimensions

8.75 x 2 x 11.5 inches
ISBN-10

3937946470
ISBN-13

978-3937946474
See all details

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Max Rodenbeck
49
Paperback
$16.95
Get it as soon as Monday, Sep 20
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Only 7 left in stock - order soon.
Mia Gröndahl
3
Paperback
$25.23
Get it as soon as Monday, Sep 20
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Only 2 left in stock (more on the way).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book, is an act within our revolution ― our continuing revolution." -- Ahdaf Soueif, Egyptian Novelist and Booker prize finalist, & Cultural commentator

"The real voice of the Egyptian revolution graffiti scene." -- Bahia Shehab-Ted Fellow, Islamic Art Historian and Artist

About the Author

Basma Hamdy is a professor, artist and designer from Cairo. She studied at the American University in Cairo, School of the Art Institute of Chicago and obtained her MFA from Maryland Institute College of Art. She is passionate about Arabic calligraphy, typography, street art and photography. She currently teaches Graphic Design at the College of fine Arts, University of Sharjah, UAE.

Don "Stone" Karl is a cultural activist, graffiti writer and art book publisher. He started to write graffiti in1983 and wrote his first book on train writing in 1986. Many books and articles have followed since. He has participated in and curated various international urban art exhibitions and projects, such as Cubabrasil or Arabic Graffiti. Don Karl runs the publishing house From Here To Fame and the Common Ground Gallery in Berlin.

Ahdaf Soueif is an Egyptian novelist and political and cultural commentator.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ From Here to Fame; Limited Ed. edition (May 1, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 3937946470
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-3937946474
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.71 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.75 x 2 x 11.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,663,993 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #813 in North Africa History
- #836 in Graffiti & Street Art
- #1,552 in Calligraphy Guides

Customer Reviews:
28 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		82%
4 star		18%
3 star 0% (0%)		0%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

JCBERTRAND

very nice book - captivating layout

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2014

Verified Purchase

Research done for this book is really thorough. Not only street art, it's also a piece of Egyptian history. Great.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Lara Baladi

A fantastic, accurate and well documented journey through the 2011 ...

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2015

Verified Purchase

A fantastic, accurate and well documented journey through the 2011 Egyptian revolution and its aftermath via the art of graffiti. A much needed document that is already facing censorship.

Helpful

Vera

Beautiful and worth it

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2016

Verified Purchase

Love this book it is so great. Can't wait to keep reading!

Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2015

Verified Purchase

Superb book that s a must have for anyone who follows events in the Arab world....

Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2015

I lived and worked in Egypt, based in Ismailia, under the auspices of the UNEF II, for a period of four years. My company provided aerial support equipment to monitor the buffer zone between Egypt and Israel. After hours we socialized with the Egyptian people; the baker who brought our fresh bread each morning, the food vendor in the market place, our driver and our next door neighbours. We spoke rudimentary Arabic and in doing so we learned much more about the real Egyptian, the man in the street and his thoughts, aspirations and opinions on local and world issues from his perspective. I was an enthusiastic backer of the publication of this Book and eagerly awaited its release; and I have not been disappointed. As a Canadian I usually associate street art as graffiti and then with vandalism, defacing the walls of buildings and railroad boxcars, but sometimes showing pictorial support for a particular issue; think referenda Quebec/Canada and federal elections. However, Walls of Freedom lays out graphically the struggle in Egypt to bring about a change of government to the world, not through CNN or other news media, but through its own people by its own street artists. It is a moving picture book, interspersed with written comments providing background information to aid in describing the visual graphics. No language barrier here. I think we all understand basic art much better than any acquired foreign language skills we might attain. My copy sits proudly on my coffee table and frequently attracts the attention of any visitor which always results in spirited conversation. I highly recommend everyone add this book to their library and keep it out, front and centre.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Genevieve Gertrude

The passion of a people and the power of art

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2015

When I contributed to the crowd-funding campaign to get this book made and published, I imagined giving my copy to my niece, who is a graduate student in cultural anthropology. But when the book arrived, so beautifully printed and bound, so engrossing, such a vivid documentation and analysis of a glorious revolution, I realized I would have to order a second copy to give to my niece. I have been enjoying my copy as a representation of the energy and passion of a people and the power of art. Regardless of the tides of politics and the erasing power of nature, these images are indelible, thanks to all the loving labor that made a record and put it in the hands of people around the world. If you watched the events in the square play out night after night on the news, you really have to have this book.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

flanwan

A beautiful coffee-table book on the meaning of art in difficult times - no highfalutin talk no rigmarole, but clear text.

Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2015

I came across this book while the crowd funding campaign, months went over and I nearly for got about. But one day a parcel the fellow from the parcel service rang on the door and handed me over this book. I was not only happy that the guys from the campaing finally succeeded, but this is also a great book. Not only that it pleases with impressive pictures (though I sometimes wished, that some of the smaller pictures would be large too). It is also a very good lesson in learning about foreign cultures. I read about some art, that I know quite well from my own surrounding, and I read what is the difference of this other culture, and - more important - what is the common thing between the cultures, where I never thought that we would think and feel the same.
What I really like, are the short texts, which provide different points of view. You don't have to read it through. There is no highfalutin talk no rigmarole, which can be found so often in books about art. This book is on the coffee table in my living room since one year and still it is a pleasure to read it.

German translation:
Ich bin auf das Buch durch die Crowdfunding-Kampagne aufmerksam geworden, fand es unterstützenswert, und hatte dann monatelang nichts mehr davon gehört. Um so erfreuter war ich, als eines Tages der Paketboten mir das Buch überreichte. Ich finde es prima, dass die Leute das Buch verwirklichen konnten, und freue mich um so mehr, als es ein wirklich bemerkenswertes Werke geworden ist. Es sind nicht nur beeindruckende Bilder (die zum Teil ruhig noch größer hätten sein dürfen). Das Buch ist ein Lehrstück zum Verständnis einer anderen Kultur. Anhand des Themas Graffiti, das ich aus meiner eigenen Umgebung kenne, sehe ich wie die andere Kultur dieses Thema sieht, und wo es - ganz unerwartet - Gemeinsamkeiten der Kulturen gibt.
Was mir sehr gut gefällt, sind die eher kurzen Textkapitel, die von unterschiedlichen Autoren geschrieben sind. Da gibt es kaum hochtrabendes Geschwafel und Langatmigkeit, wie man es von anderen Kunstbildbänden kennt. Das Buch liegt jetzt seit über einem Jahr auf bei mir am Sofa im Wohnzimmer und es ist mir noch immer nicht fade, darin zu blättern und zu lesen.

Florian from Germany

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Aladdin Elaasar

The fifth anniversary of the Egyptian revolution is soon. ...

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2016

The fifth anniversary of the Egyptian revolution is soon. Join the discussion about The Last Pharaoh: Mubarak and the Uncertain Future of Egypt in the Obama Age. The Last Pharaoh: Mubarak and the Uncertain Future of Egypt in the Obama Age is a timely account of what is currently happing in Egypt and broader Middle East and predicted the fall of Mubarak's regime. The book also discusses the impact that the collapse of Mubarak's regime and its aftermath will have on the world and American interest in the region. The Last Pharaoh: Mubarak and the Uncertain Future of Egypt in the Obama Age

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Michael Horrex

Euphoria and Heartbreak - A Record of the Egyptian Revolution

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2014

Verified Purchase

As a record of the Egyptian Spring, the euphoria and the heartbreak of a stalled revolution, this book is without equal.
The wall art, which gives the book its name, is beautifully recorded and reproduced - no small achievement, bearing in mind the intrinsically ephemeral nature of graffiti and the determination of the authorities to eliminate significant works of art.

Among the many artists featured in depth, two giants have emerged - Ammar Abou Bakr and Alaa Awad. Both of these young lecturers abandoned their work at The Faculty of Fine Arts in Luxor in order to add their artistic and intellectual weight to one of the most important twenty first century events in the Arab World.

One person found this helpful

Brummie lass

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 5, 2017

Verified Purchase

Fascinating. Plenty to read but a book you can dip in and out of too.

Damian

An excellent souvenir of the Egyptian Revolution and a great insight ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 17, 2015

Verified Purchase

Fascinating book, very well produced. An excellent souvenir of the Egyptian Revolution and a great insight into the complex forces and groupings behind it.

caterina lamesta

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2016

Verified Purchase

Awsome

Carsten Juhl

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2014

Verified Purchase

very important. unavoidable

See all reviews

Pages with related products. See and discover other items: street art, berlin wall

Follow the Authors

Similar authors to follow

Similar authors to follow

Walls of Freedom: Street Art of the Egyptian Revolution Hardcover – May 1, 2014

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries