Title:Tali

Bio:

“I had many dreams. I dreamt of our land keeping pace with the growth of the modern world.” -­‐ The late Sheikh Zayed Isra Al Saabri from the United Arab Emirates , driven by the above quote, is a graphic designer, art admirer and enthusiast, passionate about design in its diverse ways and forms. Driven by challenges and inspired by the great leader the late Sheikh Zayed, believes that the impossible is possible with determinaton and optmism. Graduated from the American University in Sharjah with Bachelor in Mass Communicaton with a concentraion in Advertsing.

Artst statement:

Talli Art-­‐ "Using traditional material in urban settings and applicatons."

Displaying tradi#onal art in an urban seOng and adap#ng it as an installa#on, in this case the bench artwork is a way of spreading an art that not many residents of the country are aware of, "Talli Art" is an aPempt to display "talli" a tradi#onal craQ prac#ced by women in the UAE to make the "jalabiya" the tradi#onal dress worn by women as well as other garments. Talli threads are vibrant and shiny in colour, weaved in different paPerns using various techniques. The series of the artwork portrays cultural elements that were extracted from the UAE heritage and adapted to a modern environment the "talli" threads will be placed on benches for visitors to experience the texture and colours.

Title:Falcon Eyes

Bio:

Is a practicing artist from the United Arab Emirates. She graduated from Zayed University with a degree in public relations and advertising. She then went on to study fashion design at ESMOD institute of fashion. Her paintings are mostly based on tradition, culture and particularly emotions, mixing different media to give the required effect.

Artst statement:

The local culture around me constantly affects my mood while thinking of different ideas for my paintings. My surroundings and emotions play a role on my paintings. I sense what people are going through and hence create art work according to it. Painting horses is one of my strongest passions and women in various moods. I feel we have to introduce women in different modes to the art scene as they have so much depth and artistic value within them. I am extremely passionate when painting and tend to use mixed media to give the required effect. I use oil, acrylic and collage as I believe when balanced correctly they gave an amazing outcome.

Title:live painting

Bio:

is an Emirati artist born in Sharjah, UAE. He began painting at the age of two, and his talent would be noted repeatedly throughout his adolescence. Winning the first place in a public school competition (Ajman, 1997) was the real start for him as an artist. He then graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts (Sharjah, 2005) as the first with distinction in his division. There he was supervised by the Russian-Yemeni pioneer artist Dr.Mohammed Ja’afar, and the influence of his teacher is visible in his style.
Ahmed’s paintings show parts of human stories in a dramatic atmosphere filled sometimes with deliriums and other times with tranquility, living in a reality that looks more like a sketch or a play.

Title:Elipse

Bio:

Is an Australian artist, currently living and working in Abu Dhabi. She holds a Master of Art in Public Space from RMIT University, MelbourneHer transdisciplinary practice incorporates site-specific installations in public space, exhibitions, community residencies and workshops. 

Artst statement:

Ellipse is a circular shaped curtain of knitted red and white plastic safety tape, commonly found on and around construction sites in Dubai. The viewing audience will be able to experience the artwork both from a distance, and while passing under the work, be able to look up into it and see the varying effects produced by available light during the day and night. The artwork will also gently move in response to wind. 

Title:"Spiritualized Imagination"

Bio:

IAlya Al Saabri, an interior designer from the United Arab Emirates, graduated from the American University of Sharjah from the School of Architecture & Design, and work at Abu Dhabi Municipality. Alya, is positive and ambtious, believes that her passion to interior and urban design will take her to an interna tional level. Her aim is to see a difference in the urban planning movement in the UAE and claims that one day she will integrate art, design, and culture to create culturally rich urban spaces.

Artst statement:

Experiencing urban spaces differently

The intention is to look at urban spaces differently and deal with it in the sense of “what we imagine” our perfect spot in a city to like, rather than what urban spaces “should look like.” The concept is fun and simple, it aims to bring sense of playfulness and imagination to the city by using elements and objects that we see in our daily life, but the setting and combination is what makes it unique, playful, different, and exciting.
Public spaces should offer spaces to play, relax, and unwind. But how can we do that without including the essence of those elements in our urban spaces! Bringing in factors of imagination and inspiration to public urban spaces is key to attract people by reaching deep down their soul to reveal their inner natural instinct for play, and unleash their imagination. The setting is poetic, playful, and amusing to visitors. The idea emerged when I asked myself “what if” I applied my imagination and the images that cross my mind to real life public spaces; this is how I came up with the setting of the artwork.

Title:كاف/Kaph

Bio:

Alia Al Marri is a young artist working in the fields of interior design and graphic design. She was born and raised in Dubai in 1986. Alia holds a bachelor degree in Interior Design, from the school of Arts and Sciences, Zayed University of Dubai, UAE. In 2007 her work has been featured in “Traditional Architecture of the Arabian Gulf: Building on Desert Tides by Ronald Hawker”.
Khawla Al Khaja is an Interior Designer graduated from Zayed University in Dubai, and holding a Master degree of Sustainable design in the built environment. As a student, Khawla participated at Al Habtoor design competition and won first place with her team. The fame bar design was displayed at index 2007. She worked for the past five years in Fit Out industry for the government. Currently Khawla is a freelance designer and working on various projects.

Artst statement:

As local designers living in a cosmopolitan city, Khawla and Alia have chosen to work with one of the cultural aspects. The urge and passion to stick to the origins will always remain as our identity. This installation is inspired by Arabic calligraphy. We have created a simple form of art reflecting the importance of Arabic alphabets or known as Arabic abjads.
As we were exploring the different alphabets, a captivating letter caught our attention; Kaph, also spelled Kaf; which is the twenty second letter of the Arabic abjads. An artwork of a repetitive singular kaph ك was created in order to form a cohesive artistic pattern. This installation is a wooden carved laser cut pattern, supported with metal polls as shades for pedestrian walks, the carved pattern allows sunlight to peak through creating a reflective pattern on the pavement. A duplicate shade is created for a continuous form of design.

Title:icons

Bio:

is an Emirati artist that truly believes that art can carry a strong message and can ultimately change the world. After entering the Interior Design major in ZU, Mouza began to delve into art and became very passionate about it, thus aspiring to become an artist. In every project or even when developing a new idea for a project, Mouza tries to tie a strong message to it; she does not believe that beautiful artwork should be hollow, or created for the sole purpose of being aesthetically sound and nothing more, instead it should be filled out with meaningful implications and symbols, so people can relate to it or even learn something new just by looking at it. The main goal for Mouza Almatrooshi is to invite human interaction with whatever she creates. Mouza is expected to graduate in 2013 with a BA in Interior Design.

Artst statement:

The typical icons of the UAE consist of redundant and repetitive images of sand dunes, dhows, and camels. Since the formation of the United Arab Emirates in the 1970s, along with the oil boom in the region, a richer and more diverse culture was conceived. Through the mix of all that was happening and until today the idea of the UAE remained the same to many people who are not from the MENA region, and has been unfairly advertized as such, fueling their beliefs that not much has changed in the UAE's glorious 41 years. These paintings are an effort to reveal what the true icons we as locals of the UAE are attached to. Stemming out of pop culture and sights we grew up with, these images humorously portray what happened while the sand dunes turned into a concrete jungle.   

Title: Super Ousha

Bio:

Khawla is an artist who researches about Contemporary Art in different regions, focusing mainly on street art. Globalizing Middle Eastern culture through experimenting and documenting interactive Art projects in different cities.

Artst statement:

A puzzle piece inspired from super Mario brothers, a Nintendo game that was popular and familiar to children how grew up in the 80s and beginning of 90s. The name of the project was changed to Super Osha to kind of relate to the original game but instead an Emarati old lady is the main character of the game which is taken from the artist’s Arab culture. The art piece was created for the public to look at and relate to especially fans of the original game.

Title:Free Your Mind

Bio:

Saunders has been exposed to art ever since he was a small child. As his mother worked on her paintings and his father worked on his sculptures Saunders had a full pallet of paints to explore with. As Saunders grew up to be a teenager, he found a love for the San Francisco street art scene and would find a solid voice for himself through spray paint. His graphic style is heavily influenced by his experiences growing up in the urban saturation of San Francisco, as well as his love for life and travel to different cultures and places throughout the world. Saunders style reflects an appreciation for vivid colors and realistic depictions of animals and landscapes mostly painted with spray paint. He draws a lot of inspiration for his hand painted hats and wearable art from the abstract sculpture his father makes.

Artst statement:

The words “FREE YOUR MIND” have been a part of my life ever since I started graffiti art. At the time, I was discouraged by the way people where easily subjected to the status quo without any thought on alternatives. “FREE YOUR MIND” is a calling to all to let go of your mental boundaries and explore your inner creative side. You might just surprise yourself.

Title:Dubai City Scape

Bio:

A self taught artist from the Philippines, believing that all of us have a unique talent, and painting is his gift .Nathanial gets his inspiration mostly from everything, from the people that he meets, places he has been to ,and things he see from daily experiences.
He wants his work to spark an idea or awaken an emotion of the viewer. At the moment he is working on a series of paintings about this city “DUBAI” “I am in love with this place and it has given me so much and it continues to do so. I would like to capture the essence of this city and the beauty of its people on my canvas. “

Title:Species of the desert

Bio:

Deama Hatahet was born in Damascus. Taken back to UAE where her parents resided, she was raised in Dubai her whole life. Being brought up there, Deama got to mesh with the multicultural society and was able to learn many things in the Emirates that she found fascinating.Deama’s main subjects of interest revolve around nature, animals and emotions – and so does her art. Turning negative experiences and thoughts into things that are visually appealing has become a habit.Deama works and lives in Dubai as an illustrator and independent artist.

Artst statement:

My concept is a sequel of a previous project I had done in my senior year in university,titled ‘Species of the Desert’. Gaining local recognition and praised by His HighnessSheikh Sultan Al Qassimi, I decided to continue with the topic of endangered animals inthe UAE Region.
For the OutdoorArt Project, I found it more suitable to limit myself to one that acts a symbol of the United Arab Emirates: the Peregrine Falcon. Not many know this fact, but Peregrine Falcons are threatened to be endangered from several areas, regionally and internationally. Organizations around the globe have taken an act upon protecting them, however, it’s also important to maintain knowledge of such creatures before their lives are at risk. By spreading colorful illustrations of the falcon and interacting with the space I was provided, it helps the viewers passing by to get interested in the matter.

Title:

Bio:

Is a passionate artist who is originally from a small volcanic and tropical island rich with its multitude of colours and tastes, a true oasis of peace and tranquility – the island of Mauritius.
Extremely talented, versatile and someone who is adamant in her endeavour, Zaahirah naturally spreads positive vibes with her pirouette style. Her panache as artist has been in the limelight since she was a kid. Innovation and creativity has always been a supernova in her quest.
She always depicts in her paintings a rare sense of ‘reflection, reconnection or celebration’ in her own particular way. Her approach is unique due to the fact that she uses creativity as an awareness raising medium, bordering on philanthropy. She has been in the forefront of many social causes and her brave and unflinching social engagement with the downtrodden has been instrumental in making a significant difference to the lives of many vulnerable women and children by facilitating their empowerment.

Artst statement:

As a native from Mauritius Island, I would like to pay tribute to our unique and extinct bird of our Island. The idea of showcase the ‘Come Back of the Dodo’ is not only educational and scientific but a historical and artistic concept that will create awareness about this extraordinary bird living in the late 17 centuries in the tropical island.
I strongly believe that the ‘Come Back of the Dodo’ will create a significant impact which will trigger inquisitive to the promenade community of Dubai. The approach of having a Dodo in the cosmopolitan society like UAE will literally be an outstanding and exquisite purpose to make the Dodo still alive in our mind and heart. Just Imagine Dodo in the dessert!
Unfortunately, the tragedy of our Dodo was a prominent lost in the history worldwide; though of its gentleness and un-harmful attribute, they were the main preyed of the sailors who took away all our Dodo. We miss you Dodo…

Title: Adaption

Bio:

Romella Orencillo , is an artists from philipines who grew up in an artistic family. Drawing fed her and brought her through college. In 1999, she took a chance of applying as an airbrush artist in Airart Asia, just so she has something to do after school. That’s the start of her love for airbrushing. She never got the chance to practice her degree in Psychology as she continues to work as an airbrush artist/muralist until 2005.Currently working in a so-called corporate world and paints during her free time.

Artst statement:

The charm of Dubai that entices people of from different continents to come. And isn't it amazing how Dubai has extended its arms and embrace all of us. I could not be more thankful for all the love.

Title:“I-grow pallets”

Bio:

Belgian at heart, and with an instinctive understanding of Islamic calligraphy and culture, Sarah’s Art is as abstract, understated, elegant, feminine and intuitive as the artist herself.
Bridging cultural gaps with her combination of European flair and Arabic sensitivity, her paintings instill an instant sense of tranquility and peace. Where words don’t seem adequate, a painting finds ways of communicating to the soul.
When Sarah says she experiences freedom when expressing her emotions on canvas, her words echo her strokes. Each painting is unique, with layers of love, hope, faith, tolerance and spiritual

Artst statement:

The concept is inspiring each and every individual to think about sustainability and self-development. I grow literally means I grow my plants, the deeper message behind it is I grow myself through inspirational words, empowering colors and recycled art to become the change I want to see in the world.

Title: mystic

Bio:

“Raya received her Bachelor’s Degree in graphic design/communications and a minor in studioart from Simmons College. Always driven by the art scene many things have influenced Raya’s work over the years. Ever since 2009 she has been commissioned by clients for various projects, such as branding, magazine lay outs, fashion look books, stationary, business cards, and web design and development. Upon submitting her work in May of 2011 to Columbia University, USA for a nation wide contest in graphic design, Raya won the Gold Medal from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) with all Columbian Honors, and First Class rating from the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP).”

Artst statement:

The reflective surfaces of these arabesque shapes create a portal that intertwines reality with fantasy. Reflecting both the cityscape’s realism and the sky in its debatable surrealism. I use the term surrealism because the sky to me is endless. A space that spreads out to infinity. The sky is a world with no bounds, a dimension of intricate beliefs powered by our imagination. When you have
the reality of a world filled with responsibility reflected in the same surface as the realm of fantasy, you diminishall the restrictive bonds of this world. Creating a world of imagination. A new world where each person who walks on these surfaces will unleash his version of what his fantasy can be, and banishes the ties of the reality he lives in . It is an escape to the world of infinity.

Title:The lost Camel

Bio:

A Chemical Engineer from the United Arab Emirates, Graduated from American university of Sharjah unveils the young Artist in herself. The years she spent studying Chemical engineering did not only expand her engineering skills and knowledge, but also expanded her imagination on how things work in an artistic prospective. She has spend her first year at university building up her skills on how to create structures and models. Drawing sketching, painting have been her hobby. 

Artst statement:

Having the camel artwork placed in the city’s walk ways unseals a curious combination and sight. It creates an unbalanced environment in which the camel is not one of the city’s components. This will attract bypass people’s attention to notice the disturbance in the background. In addition, its specific arrangement was chosen to illustrate the confusion people would experience while noticing the lost camel in a city.

Title:

Bio:

is a21 year old Interior Design student at Zayed University. Her work is considered as a blend of several different mediums such as: drawing, painting, photography and digital Illustration. Thus, she has participated in many programs within her field of interest, such as: Designing stands for the ‘Young Entrepenure Competition’, as well as participating in designing for the ‘Sit in Shade’ competition. Also, she is the head of Art&Design department of the ‘Young Eager Steps’ group.

Title:

Bio:

Noora al awar is 21 year old majoring in architecture in American university of Sharjah. Inspired by the imagination, and interested in the art of 'making'. Newly engaging with the art world.

Title:Mashrafitti

Bio:

As a professional artist I have had solo and group exhibitions in prominent cities including New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Dubai. In 2008 I was commissioned by the City of Malibu to create a mural at the Michael Landon Center paving the way for the Dubai Culture’s Outdoor Art Project installation at Business Bay.  Currently, I am installing another outdoor art project in JBR. My work is also in many private and public collections throughout the world and most recently work was purchased for the Faisaliah Resort and Spa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia opening in 2013. 

Artst statement:

As an artist, I have been exploring iconic historical imagery through large-scale oil paintings and installations. I am most inspired by the repetitive geometric patterns of the intricate Mashrabiyas, long revered as the cornerstone of Islamic decoration.  These beautiful screens provided privacy from the outside world while creating air flow and are now an essential part of Arabic architecture. My vision is to create a unifying theme using these highly complex patterns expressing the established and modern extremes of Dubai. 
This project is the epitome of a fusion  which combines elegance and tradition with gritty street art. My 2.4m by 13m outdoor art project is bold and unconventional. The installation is produced out of 9mm MDF board then cut with a water jet machine to create the geometric design. Inspired by the urban art in LA, I spray painted the form in a graffiti-type fashion featuring the eyes of an Arabic woman. This image is symbolic of the privacy the Mashrabiya’s provided, enabling a view of the street without being seen. it is invigorating for me to take a time-honored element of the Middle Eastern region and transform it to represent the current landscape by pushing visual boundaries. Living in both Dubai and Los Angeles I have been able to blend both regions with this project i haven taken an essential part of each area to create a relevant piece of work that explores culture and history in an expressive way.

Title:Speak Your Mood

Bio:

Hanan Al Fardan is a fresh graduate of Integrated Strategic Communication, but has not yet graduated from building her skills’ nest. She’s an ambitious 22-years-old lady from the United Arab Emirates, working towards running an independent business planned & designed by her own. Writing a paragraph is not something she’s good at, but her visual mind is her way of expressing unspoken words to the world. She’s passionate about Art, photography and everything that expose the beauty secrets of life.

Artst statement:

This artwork is an interactive way to share what a person feels to the public, but in an “Emirati” accent. The concept of this art piece is to give people the chance to express their feelings in public regarding what nationality they are or what language they talk, with a small sense of UAE culture, language and accent. Although these phrases are all in Arabic, they’re mainly expressions that are mostly stated in any person’s daily life, but here, in an “Emirati” accent. This art piece is made out of wood as the background “chat bubble” and acrylic material for the text, adding up light within the chat bubble to lighten up the text. Lighten up one phrase while having a chill on the bench by switching on its specific switch to share what you feel with the entire public!

Title:“Day of the Dead”

Bio:

Arwa is a design-loving, art-obsessing, eraser-collecting, movies-enjoying, internet-addicting, typography-appreciating, animal-adoring, Arabic-speaking, boredom-hating, hugs-giving, pickles-loathing, random-talking, Shawerma-despising, time-wasting, shows-downloading, music-listening girl.

Artst statement:

My artwork is an exploration of the world around me through exploring myself, and because I am a diverse and random human being so is my art. It doesn't follow a certain style or a certain medium.
"Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died." Even though this Mexican holiday celebrates death that is feared by most and yet they use colorful ornaments, make-up and masks. It's just a reminder that joy and sadness are always intertwined.

Title:

Bio:

Abrar Saeed is an Emirati Student at Zayed University. She is now a senior studying for a bachelor degree in fine arts. She seeks to collect skills to enhance her artistic dreams. She has a strong sense of her own artistic style, however she developed her style through the courses she took at Zayed University, such as, painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, photography, ceramics, three dimensional design, and book structure. Abrar started with a pen and paper and through her pursuit of art and design skills she enhanced her ability to articulate her imaginations and creativity and ended up with a pen and paper.

Title:

Bio:

Maryam AlBastaki is a student at Dubai National School. Was born on the 11'th of October in 1995. Volunteered in many events with Young Eager Steps group. Maryam was told that she had the potential to become an artist one day. Maryam will always be there to help Others