Dubai: Capturing the emirate's vibrant art scene

Dubai - On tote bags and plates, in parks and hotels. and beyond. You don’t have to be consciously looking out for art to admire, it bumps into you everywhere

Art is all around us, irrespective of whether you are consciously looking for it or not. It’s on the streets you walk on and the parks you plan a picnic at, it’s the design on your bag to the creation on the cookie jar; last week, I couldn’t help but stop, admire and absorb the art around me, here’s a recap of what caught my eyes.

When heroes create magic

This Sunday, artworks created by eight young artists of determination were presented as part of the Art Series at Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown. The hotel partnered with Heroes of Hope, a not-for-profit charity, to curate and host a four-week art programme sponsored by ArtistPals, to encourage people of determination to be pioneers of their futures. Contemporary British artist and humanitarian Sacha Jafri was the guest of honour at the event, “It’s really important to understand the skills and inspiration that these lovely kids provide to us, and it’s this beauty that is visible in their creations.” Not only did this initiative give the artists a sense of accomplishment, but the funds derived through the sale of the paintings were donated to the charity for enhancing further talents. During the programme, the group was welcomed at the hotel for guided tours to draw inspiration from the hotel’s collections of art and design. “We organised workshops with leading artists with distinct backgrounds and styles to show the diversity and share their artistic skills and techniques with the group,” said Astrid Lesuisse, the hotel’s resident Art Manager. The participants included self-taught Emirati artist Badr Abbas, British-born artist Belinda Freeman, Iranian visual artist Asareh Ebrahimpour, Franco-Algerian-Spanish embroidery artist Chloé Robin, and French artist Anne-Laure Roy.

Hummus is happiness

Who doesn’t love a tote bag, and well, who doesn’t feel that hummus is happiness! Daughter-mother Jessica Kahawaty and Rita Kahawaty, founders of Mama Rita, launched a limited-edition set of customised totes as an ode to Lebanese food, as part of a collaboration with Deliveroo for their ongoing Lebanese Marketing Campaign rolled out earlier this month. The campaign honours the country’s cuisine and also sheds light on important customs with a touch of nostalgia. “This foodie-fashion item will surely show off your obsession with traditional Lebanese food, which by the way has been rated as one of the healthiest and heartiest cuisines in the world, it is no wonder the Mediterranean diet is so popular,” said the duo.

purva@khaleejtimes.com