Smile you are in Sharjah: Maraya’s Jedariya project’s newest iteration

Dec 18, 2016 - Zena Adhami is the latest artist to take part in Maraya Art Centre's Jedariya programme. She painted this wall in Sharjah, which reads in Arabic: Smile You Are In Sharjah. Courtesy of Maraya Art CentreShow less

In the third iteration of Jedariya, a project launched by Sharjah’s Maraya Art Centre in 2014, UAE born graphic artist Zena Adhami has painted a large mural in the city on Sharjah’s roundabout next to the port.

The words, written in stylised calligraphy read the Arabic phrase “Smile you are in Sharjah”, a phrase that has become synonymous with the city.

“Any Sharjah resident can tell you a story or two on how that phrase has been a part of their making while living in this city. I personally wanted to give life again to that piece of history, by recreating a special font in a prime location, and with colours that evoke memories of our childhood in this city” says Adhami. “For me, it was also a chance to create a font for the city of Sharjah that reflects its traditional essence, and its current status of change. A lot has changed in Sharjah since I was a child but it still connects to narratives of our childhood that revolve around the Corniche and the iconic architecture around it.”