Not Everything Is So Black & White — Eelus, Dubai
Eelus · 2016 · City Walk, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Photo: © Kathmandu & Beyond (watermark on the image), first published on their blog on 14 December 2019, as published on Street Art Utopia; the camera date is not recorded. Artwork: Eelus.
A black-and-white child reaches up under a giant leaf while rainbow-coloured rain pours down a concrete wall in City Walk, Dubai. British stencil artist Eelus painted Not Everything Is So Black & White in 2016 for Dubai Walls, the street-art initiative launched by Meraas, the developer of City Walk, which brought 15 permanent works to the district. Source Source Source Source Checked
Seen Aug 2025: Buenos Aires Street Art pictured the stencil in a Dubai guide published on 6 August 2025 (its photo is undated) and wrote that most of the City Walk pieces are still in great condition; City Walk’s own Art Walls page still lists the work. Source Source Reported
💡 5 things to know
- A leaf, not an umbrellaWhat’s On Dubai described his trademark monotone boy sheltering from a downpour of colour with a leaf rather than his usual umbrella; Graffiti Street also notes the leaf in place of the umbrella. Source Source Checked
- His most iconic imageGraffiti Street called Not Everything Is So Black and White Eelus’s most iconic piece, in its Dubai Walls round-up. Source Reported
- One of 15 permanent worksThe National reported on 3 April 2016 that Dubai Walls had unveiled 15 permanent pieces on the new extension of City Walk the week before, working with developer Meraas; Gulf News listed Eelus among the British artists. Source Source Checked
- A boy or a girl?The National, What’s On Dubai and Buenos Aires Street Art describe the figure as a boy; Graffiti Street calls it a girl. Source Source Source Source Conflicting
- Now behind a café terraceThe National’s 2016 photo shows open paving in front of the wall; when Kathmandu & Beyond visited for their December 2019 post, the stencil was a little obscured by tables and chairs from the adjoining café. Source Source Reported
📍 Where it is
On a grey concrete wall in City Walk, the pedestrian district on Al Safa Street in Jumeirah, Dubai. What’s On Dubai placed it closer to the fountain, and in 2019 a café terrace stood in front of it. Source Source Source Reported
Opens the City Walk starting point that Kathmandu & Beyond gives for its street-art walk (25.207349, 55.262633); the exact wall is not pinned.
🗓️ Sightings
- 20163 Apr
Pictured as Dubai Walls opened · The National
- 20164 May
Dubai Walls round-up · Graffiti Street
- 2016Nov
On a City Walk street-art trail · What’s On Dubai
- 201914 Dec
Behind café tables · Kathmandu & Beyond
- 20256 Aug
Pictured in a Dubai guide · Buenos Aires Street Art
Green stamps mark photos of the work dated by the report they appeared in; amber stamps mark reports, including the 2025 guide, whose photo is undated. Publication dates are not camera dates.
🗞️ In the sources
Dubai’s City Walk turns into a colourful open-air museum
“A young boy shading himself from rainbow rain with a giant leaf.”
The opening line of Anna Seaman’s report; its lead photo is captioned as the piece by Eelus.
Dubai Walls street art festival, UAE 2016
“He paints his most iconic piece ‘Not Everything Is So Black and White‘, instead of an umbrella in the mural the girl holds a palm leaf.”
Graffiti Street’s round-up of the Dubai Walls artists.
Street art tours
“This mural shows his trademark monotone boy sheltering from a downpour of colour with a leaf rather than his usual umbrella.”
From the magazine’s City Walk street-art trail.
Dubai Street Art: City Walk
“It’s a little obscured by tables and chairs from the adjoining cafe, but it’s still a beautiful piece of art.”
Kirsty of Kathmandu & Beyond, on her visit to City Walk.
✅ The facts
- Title
- Not Everything Is So Black & White (Graffiti Street writes “and”) Source Source Source Source Checked
- Year
- 2016: Dubai Walls began on 31 March 2016 according to Graffiti Street, and The National reported on 3 April 2016 that the 15 pieces had been unveiled the week before Source Source Checked
- Commissioned by
- Dubai Walls, a street-art initiative launched by Meraas, the developer of City Walk Source Source Source Checked
- Spot
- Closer to the fountain, according to What’s On Dubai; beside a café terrace in 2019 according to Kathmandu & Beyond Source Source Reported
- Figure
- A boy according to The National, What’s On Dubai and Buenos Aires Street Art; a girl according to Graffiti Street Source Source Source Source Conflicting
- Still there
- Pictured in a guide published in August 2025 (photo undated) and listed on City Walk’s Art Walls page; no newer dated report Source Source Reported
- Size
- Not stated in the sources we found Unconfirmed
🔗 Related
All sources & image credits
- The National — Dubai’s City Walk turns into a colourful open-air museum, by Anna Seaman — 3 April 2016
- Gulf News — Dubai’s City Walk celebrates street art — 20 April 2016
- What’s On — Dubai Walls street art — 17 April 2016
- Graffiti Street — Dubai Walls street art festival, UAE 2016 — 4 May 2016
- What’s On Dubai — Street art tours (PDF of pages 93–96) — November 2016
- Kathmandu & Beyond — Dubai Street Art: City Walk — 14 December 2019
- Buenos Aires Street Art — Dubai street art & graffiti, best murals around the city — 6 August 2025
- City Walk — Art Walls (official page, undated)
- Hero image: © Kathmandu & Beyond (watermark on the image), first published on their blog on 14 December 2019, as published on Street Art Utopia; the camera date is not recorded. A 16:9 share image was made from it with blurred sides.
Last checked: 7 November 2026 · How we verify art