In pictures: Aerosol artists Sya and Bow’s community canvas

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  This is the home of Sya and Bow, two British aerosol artists for whom graffiti writing and street art is a way of life. Courtesy Sya and Bow

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  Sya and Bow met at Dubai Festival City where, until two years ago, there was a dedicated graffiti wall to serve the street-art community. Courtesy Sya and Bow

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  “[Sya] took me under his wing,” says Bow. “Over the past three years he has taught me how to paint properly.” Courtesy Sya and Bow

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  When the authorities closed down the Festival City wall, Sya — whose name stands for superb young artist, after a teacher predicted that is what he would be — and Bow had to find other places to paint. That’s when they looked closer to home. Courtesy Sya and Bow

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  “The sole reason we moved here was it had the biggest garden we could find and we had space to build the wall,” says Bow. Courtesy Sya and Bow

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  “Now the wall is probably more well known to people outside of Dubai than we are,” says Sya, explaining that whenever a street artist or graffiti writer comes into Dubai, they usually get in touch to ask if they can use the wall. Courtesy Sya and Bow

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  The wall has also cemented the duo’s name on the local art scene. Most Fridays they have an open house for artists to paint and often they have impromptu gatherings for the street-art community. Courtesy Sya and Bow

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  The art on the wall changes regularly, so every few weeks it is bears completely different colours and images. Courtesy Sya and Bow

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  The pair’s efforts have led to several commissions, including brand ambassador jobs for Adidas, Nokia and Perrier. It has also helped them advance their own practices. Courtesy Sya and Bow

Aerosol artists Sya and Bow have allowed for a wall in their Dubai garden to be used as an open house for others artists to paint.