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Iraqi artist creates art with artificial leather

DUBAI — For every lover of the Islamic heritage in general and the Arab artifacts in particular, Saad Al Jed's collection will be a special treat. The Iraqi artist, who has been exhibiting his unique pieces of art at Mercato as part of the Dubai Summer Surprises, uses a new art technique. It combines painting, sculpture and pottery.

"I was able to produce three dimensional high-relief artworks. The Artificial Leather Art can reproduce the highly intricate details needed in things like Arabic calligraphy and all the fine details in engravings, " said Al Jed.

The map of UAE, the camel race, coffee pot and old currency are some of the pieces reminiscent of the UAE's heritage and traditions. The more than 150-item collection features also the most ancient door in Dubai which is located in Bastaqiya. Saad Al Jed's art is, in his words, "an ambassador of the Arab heritage in general and the UAE's patrimony in particular to America, Europe and Canada as well as Southern America. It is a globalisation technique. It will be a tool for spreading understanding of cultures in the world. It is just like the internet," he says smiling.

"Some of my clients are foreign tourists who come to the UAE and are amazed by this country, its traditions and history. Others are UAE or Arab nationals settled abroad who desire to take home some souvenirs. They buy those items because they are light, flexible, unbreakable or not susceptible to damage. My pieces may also be used as greeting cards or post cards, " he said.

His artificial leather art paintings, which feature the horse and camel caravan carrying a howdah, the hubble-bubble and the palm trees, will all indulge the DSS visitors in a special UAE mood. "Burj Al Arab, the Sharjah fortress, the house of Shaikh Saeed Al Maktoum, the library building in the Sharjah American University in addition to the camel and horse races are aspects of this country that I want to show to the world. Dubai is the ideal city for creative activity and I am fond of being creative." The artist uses the fibre-glass technique to mould any painted design and inject it with the artificial leather. Trading ships, the Omani dagger, maps of several Middle Eastern countries, beads and jewelleries are samples of the Iraqi artist’s work. "There is a special technique to produce such 'moulded paintings'. I hate the machine and love everything the human creativity can come up with. In the coming months, I will be expanding my art to include some world, American and European heritage. Egyptian, Iraqi, Romanian and Phoenician patrimonies will also be part of my art work.," Al Jed said.

He has had his technique registered as a patent with the Ministry of Economy. The material with which he makes the pieces of art is produced in his atelier in Ajman "