Laila Ajjawi Paints Women in Jordan

In Jordan, artist Laila Ajjawi paints large-scale portraits of women to increase their visibility in a male-dominated public space. The 35-year-old, one of the few female street artists in the country, depicts women of all ages and backgrounds—some wearing headscarves, some not—challenging traditional gender roles and beauty standards.

Ajjawi grew up in the Irbid Palestinian refugee camp, surrounded by graffiti that preserved collective memory. This early exposure inspired her art, and she still prefers painting in refugee camps where she feels her work is most appreciated. She earns a living through commissions from cafes and banks, using art as a way to support her family.

Despite her success, Ajjawi acknowledges the limitations of artistic expression in Jordan, where freedom of art is not always fully realized. She sometimes self-censors her work and recently struggled with a creative crisis after the recent conflict in Gaza.

However, a moment of unexpected joy occurred when girls in Irbid wrote their names on one of her murals, claiming the artwork as their own. Ajjawi continues to paint, hoping to create even small changes through her art.