Mural artist 'Shik Shik' brightens up Somali shop fronts

Mural artist Muawiye Hussein Sidow or “Shik Shik” has created the artworks that adorn over 100 shop fronts in Mogadishu, Somalia.

His eye-catching style, that uses bright colours and bold lines, is in stark contrast to the airbrushed images favoured by big companies.

Each piece that Sidow creates is one of a kind and his designs are splashed across the facades of barber shops, cafes and supermarkets, among other businesses, often depicting what customers might find inside.

The artist is inspired by Somali daily life and hopes that his work can brighten up the urban landscape.

Sidow says that his main inspiration for painting is to support his family: “I make the pictures to get daily food for my wife and three kids.”

He also supports his father, a retired commercial artist, who passed his knowledge and business on to his son.

Now also working as a teacher, Sidow prides himself on showing others to paint so that they too can earn a living through their art.

The artist has ambitions that reach further than his homeland: “God willing, I hope I will also make pictures in the neighbouring countries,” he said.