Street artists bring color to Israeli and Jordanian streets

[June 10, 2017]    ARAD, Israel (Reuters) - With large murals of black cats and colorful gurning faces, a group of traveling international artists are bringing a splash of colorful street art to towns in Israel and Jordan.

A girl looks at a wall painting by Israeli artist who goes by the name Dioz, during an art happening, called POW! WOW! Israel, which is connected to a week-long art and culture festival held in Hawaii called POW! WOW! Hawaii, in the southern city of Arad, Israel June 5, 2017. Picture taken June 5, 2017. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

The eye-catching works, including large portraits and spying eyes, are produced under the banner of the international POW! WOW! event, a week-long culture festival which aims to "contribute, share culture and beautify communities with art.".

Having produced pieces at the Dead Sea and Petra in Jordan, the small group of artists, from Hawaii, Tel Aviv and Los Angeles, traveled to the southern Israeli city of Arad, a town in the Negev desert not often touched by street art.

"I came to the artist quarter in Arad to paint some walls,to give some colors and beauty to the place and to the people," Tel Aviv street artist Dioz said on Wednesday as he finished his piece of the large faces.

The artists will next head to Tel Aviv to continue their art pilgrimage on Thursday for the final stages of the two-week festival .

(Reporting by Amir Cohen. Writing by Patrick Johnston in LONDON. Editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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