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Emirati women take to the streets to create works of art

Dubai - Ashwaq Abdullah and Maisoon Al Saleh, 28, were among the three Emirati artists who joined the project spearheaded by Brand Dubai, creative arm of Dubai Government's Media Office, in partnership with Dubai Municipality.

If you haven't been to Satwa for a while, visit it now. The area has transformed into an art gallery of 16 colourful murals painted by 16 artists on the 2nd of December Street, as part of Dubai Street Museum's first phase.

Held under the theme of portraying UAE history and the 1971 union, Satwa is now covered with street art that showcase symbols of the country's heritage including pearl diving and falcons to show the street's historical significance.

Ashwaq Abdullah and Maisoon Al Saleh, 28, were among the three Emirati artists who joined the project spearheaded by Brand Dubai, creative arm of Dubai Government's Media Office, in partnership with Dubai Municipality.

Abu Dhabi-based Abdullah is the first female Emirati artist to paint a large-scale mural. It took her 14 days to paint large murals on two buildings including the portrayal of the childhood of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Dubai Ruler, reading a book with his late father.

"The image showed how important reading was to Shaikh Mohammed ever since he was a child," said Abdullah, who holds a degree in graphic design, a minor in interior design and has been on the art scene for the past nine years.

Her other work displayed UAE Founder Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, with then-Dubai ruler Shaikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

"Drawing on a large scale was a challenge that I took. And since our founders are our history, I sketched their photos as they carry the meanings of our happiness, hope and union," she said.

Shaikh Zayed and Shaikh Rashid painted on one of the buildings on December2 Street as part of Dubai Street Museum initiative.- Photo by Kiran Prasad

Abdullah who normally sketches through various mediums including painting with Arabic coffee as a symbol of her culture, said her inability to see the full picture while painting on the wall was her biggest challenge.

"The first time I went on the crane, I was very scared! Drawing on a rough surface was also difficult but it got easier with the time." Despite the challenges, Abdullah said she was ecstatic that graffiti art made its way to UAE culture. "I've always planned to receive street art training! We need this type of art in the country, and painting live in front of people increases our confidence as young artists to show our work to the world."

She noted that working with international artists and engaging in the graffiti art has opened doors to a new field for her.

'Hello, neighbours'

The best part about painting on a building, Al Saleh said, is making new friends in balconies! The Dubai-based artist painted her first mural titled "Trading Correspondence" as part of her series The Dara Chronicles series that involved drawing series of stamps that reflect UAE history.

"I started a conversations with various nationalities and backgrounds every time I passed by a balcony. They encouraged and supported me all the way. Honestly, I miss them!" said Al Saleh, who holds an interior design degree from Zayed University.

Despite the friendly chats, Al Saleh worked for 10 hours daily for 12 days to paint the mural using acrylics on a building full of curves.

"It would have been easy for me if the building had a flat surface but I had to move the crane three times per balcony to paint a specific area," said Al Saleh, whose artistic style normally revolves around digital paintings to mixed-media prints of the Emirati culture and exotic fascination with human skeletons.

"Now I'm capable to paint any building regardless of its complex architecture," said Al Saleh, who started her art career ever since she was a child.

For her, the Street Museum initiative has created a platform for artists to showcase their artworks while beautifying the streets of Dubai.

From walls of Satwa to Hatta

According to Sanaz Askar, founder of The Mine Gallery, an official producer of the project, the first phase involved 12 international artists, three Emirati artists and a UAE expat who helped transform 2nd of December street.

Askar added that the initiative has an educational element of inviting local art students to support international artists and gain experience. Local talents were asked to submit concepts relevant to the project's theme and were chosen accordingly.

The Dubai Street Museum will showcase the past, present and future of UAE from walls of Satwa to Hatta.

While the first phase is finished, the location of the second phase that will depict the present is yet to be revealed. "The next step is a surprise, but all we can say is the murals' theme will showcase the dynamic and fast-changing present of the UAE," Askar told Khaleej Times.

Local artists can submit their concepts through branddubai.com

What is Dubai Street Museum

Shaikh Mohammed approved the project in November as a new public art that seeks to highlight Dubai's unique identity, values and aspirations. It is inspired by his vision to transform Dubai into an open-air museum, and promote aesthetic excellence and innovation.

The museum will see international and local artists working together to create distinctive public artworks across Dubai.

sherouk@khaleejtimes.com