emirati expressions: conventions of arts

emirati expressions: conventions of arts invite . 2015

al wahda sports club i . 2015

al wahda sports club ii . 2015

al wahda sports club iii . 2015

the armed forces officers club i . 2015

the armed forces officers club i . 2015

the cultural foundation i . 2015

the cultural foundation ii . 2015

i am happy to announce my participation in this year's emirati expressions: conventions of arts. for it's fourth edition, the exhibition showcases works by fifteen emiratis, focusing on art and design, and the creative practices within each showcase. another feature in the exhibition is commissioned artworks and projects that take inspiration from abu dhabi's various and historic social clubs and institutions.

as you can see in the above, my contribution to the exhibition are a series of illustrations of abu dhabi's cultural and social institutions – al wahda sports club, the armed forces officers club, and the cultural foundation. these illustrations are printed on collateral, including posters for people to take, and notebooks, t-shirts and tote bags for sale.

i really enjoyed exploring abu dhabi and getting to appreciate the architectural structures of these institutions and their locations in person. i'm not very familiar with abu dhabi, so being able to research and drive around the capital to find these sites were a real treat.

i personally like the approach to this year's exhibition; seeing not just art, but design as well ranging from graphic design to product pieces on display. the uae is definitely a home of both emirati artists and designers, and this exhibition is a reflection of that.

thank you to the curators of the exhibition maisa al qasimi and reem fadda for including me in the show. and congratulations to all the artists participating.

emirati expressions: conventions of arts runs until 31 March 2016, at manarat al saadiyat. for more information click here.

seaf - process

expressive + descriptive illustrations . 2014

desert intervention assignment . 2015

monuments assignment . 2015

spatial intervention assignment . 2015

framing project gif . 2015

color assignment . 2015

curtains (pattern assignment) . 2015

textile designs on the jaquard loom at risd (collaboration with azim al ghussein) . 2015

after the previous post about my final project during the sheikha salama bint hamdan al nahyan's emerging artists fellowship program (seaf), i wanted to share some of the quick projects and assignments i worked on during the course of the program, which definitely fed into my final project and my current artistic practice. the experimental approach towards the assignments in the program were important, which is why i would like to share a selection of some of these projects, showing a behind the scenes look of my process, which usually never gets exposed.

all the projects above show the variety of mediums explored during the program. also, you see a transition of the mediums used – starting with what i am most comfortable with (illustration) and eventually moving into textiles, which was the medium for my final project. i really enjoyed thinking outside the box, working in scales i was uncomfortable with in the past, and understanding key components in my work which i take for granted (like color!).

i don't think i'll be able to justify how important the program has been to me in 2 blog posts. but i do hope whoever reads this gets a glimpse into an experience that was inspirational on all levels, and something i'll never forget.