ABD Hanafi – Halloween, rue Berri, De Abd Hanafi

The artwork presents a bustling street scene, seemingly capturing a moment during a Halloween celebration. A procession of figures, predominantly children dressed in various costumes, fills the foreground and extends into the middle ground. The costumes are diverse, ranging from recognizable superhero characters like Superman and Batman to more generic animal and fantastical representations. Several individuals carry bags or buckets, presumably for collecting treats.
The background reveals a row of tightly packed brick buildings with balconies, suggesting an urban residential area. A few figures can be observed in the windows and on the balconies, appearing as passive observers of the festivities below. The sky displays a gradient of colors – a soft pink transitioning to orange – indicating either sunrise or sunset, lending a slightly melancholic tone to the scene. Scattered leaves litter the street surface, reinforcing the autumnal setting.
The artist employs a flattened perspective and vibrant color palette, contributing to a sense of heightened reality and playful energy. The composition is dense with detail; each figure possesses distinct characteristics and costumes, creating a lively and somewhat chaotic atmosphere. Theres an intentional lack of depth, which emphasizes the collective experience rather than individual narratives.
Subtly, the painting seems to explore themes of community, childhood, and shared cultural rituals. The sheer number of participants suggests a widespread embrace of Halloween traditions within this neighborhood. The costumes themselves function as temporary identities, allowing children to embody different roles and engage in imaginative play. The presence of onlookers from the buildings hints at a broader social context – a sense of belonging and collective memory being formed through these annual celebrations. The overall impression is one of fleeting joy and communal participation, captured within a specific urban environment.