Patriotism dominates the sidewalk on Broadway and 109th Street as the intense faces of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama stare up at passersby. The two faces are drawn side-by-side, an apparent ode to the power of patriotism in the American presidential race. Pedestrians walk by. Some walk right over it, some pause for a few seconds, and some even stop to take pictures.

“It’s imposing a common identity on two totally separate individuals,” said Ittai Orr, CC ’12, of the striking image. The powerful drawing juxtaposes two faces that are typically seen apart from one another in a new and unifying way. “It’s a blatant reminder of what our future could look like and who could be in power,” said Dominic Jones, CC ’12.

The only mention of the artist of these two prominent faces is a scribble of contact information—a name, e-mail address, phone number, and Web site—leading us to Hani Shihada.

But who is this man? His artwork can be seen all over Morningside Heights and the rest of New York, with subjects ranging from political figures, to classic artworks, and even to bumblebees. What is the story behind this prolific artist? What are his motivations for creating such stunning sidewalk art? And why does he leave his contact information on the sidewalk for the world to see?

Hani Shihada is a self-proclaimed artist of the people. “I deal directly with the people,” he said in a telephone interview. “I work on the sidewalk.”

Shihada grew up in a large family in Jordan. He was first inspired to become an artist by a teacher of his when he was just 14 years old. After that, he went to school for painting in Rome, but quickly found that he couldn’t make enough money by working and going to school.

One day he saw a girl drawing with chalk on the sidewalk, and he’s been hooked ever since. After working in Italy, he moved to Spain and then to America. where he’s been painting on sidewalks for 23 years.

At first surviving on donations from passersby, Hani has since left his contact information and now receives commissions from people all over the city. This to Hani is the beauty of New York. “I have the materials, I have the canvas, I have everything here,” he said. “All I need is chalk.”

It is through chalk that Hani is able to connect to those around him. When asked about his motivations, he said: “I love to work with ideas ... I enjoy people. I enjoy the process of creating with others.”

Upon receiving commissions, Hani tries his best to interpret the ideas of the commissioners into his own paintings.

Human interaction is what Hani is most concerned with. He hopes that his art will inspire people to pursue their own artistic passions. “Lots of people come to me, and they tell me how much my work inspires them. For some reason I help them without knowing how,” he said.

For Hani it is as much about the process as about the final result. Preferring not to deal with galleries, he enjoys working close to the people doing what he loves to do.

“I want to see the fruit of my work right away,” he explained. “I want to share.” He sees his art as a form of giving, projecting himself and his message through the sidewalk.

For someone so fervent about expressing himself, it can only be expected that Hani would have a specific message to convey. When pressed about any possible political motivations, especially in relation to the Clinton-Obama drawing, Hani retained a neutral stance. “I really don’t like politics at all. I run away from politics,” he said. He chooses his subjects based on what he thinks people will know.

He tries his best not to offend anyone, so as to get as many people involved as possible. He enjoys both feedback and critique—anything to get people invested in the creative process.

The future for Hani includes a potential painting in Union Square or the Village. Continuing his desire to reach out to as many people as possible, he hopes to depict the late Paul Newman. He invites any and all suggestions, reiterating his love for the interplay of ideas between the artist and the public. “I see it [sidewalk painting] as a form of giving,” he said. “The more I give, the more I receive back.”

Contact Hani Shihada at hanishihada@aol.com with any ideas or suggestions for future paintings.