Abu Dhabi students transform school walls with graffiti

German International School Abu Dhabi pupils spray-painted bright graffiti tags and graphic images all around campus — and their teachers and parents couldn’t be more proud.

Graffiti artist Ammar Hassan helps pupils at the German International School in Abu Dhabi complete a mural as part of a year-end project. Silvia Razgova / The National

ABU DHABI // Pupils at the German International School Abu Dhabi spray-painted bright graffiti tags and graphic images all around campus – and their teachers and parents could not have been more proud.

“I’m really surprised that this is possible, but this is fantastic work,” said Deborah Cornelsen, a German mother with three children at the school.

The artwork was led by freelance artists brought in to teach the pupils the tricks of the trade as part of a week-long project to mark the end of term on Thursday.

Pupils from grades 5 to 11 participated in one of about 19 different projects focused on the theme of improving the school’s physical environment and appearance. Each group had to come up with ideas of what they would like to see at the school, and nothing was off limits, said Belen Ayestaran, who heads the parents’ council.

“The idea is to turn the school into a place that’s lived in, where you can live – that’s comfortable, like a living room, a place that’s nicer to learn, where you want to be and spend time, not just come in and leave,” Mrs Ayestaran said.

“I hope that they get inspired. I hope they become advocates of solutions, that they have this feeling that they can make things happen. They learn to be advocates for their ideas.”

Edwin Tegtmeyer, 17, was among the first to suggest covering the school’s bland white walls in artful graffiti. He pitched the idea to his teacher Ines Guenzel, who was heading the project, and she quickly bought into it after seeing the work of professional graffiti artists who were involved in spraying the world’s longest mural in Dubai last year.

By Wednesday, about 14 of the walls along corridors had been covered in large, colourful murals designed by the pupils.

One of the images showed a Bavarian dressed in lederhosen holding the reins of a camel bearing an Emirati dressed in a kandura. Another had a colourful character pointing the way to the cafeteria.

“It all fits somehow,” Edwin said. “There are some pictures that connect the German culture with the Arabic one and I think the result is really good.”

Emily Naepfle, 16, who organised the project along with Mrs Guenzel, said the school appeared “nice now and so colourful and it’s just warm and welcoming”.