wanderland murals . 2016 (image courtesy of hermes)
wanderland murals . 2016 (image courtesy of hermes)
wanderland murals . 2016 (image courtesy of hermes)
wanderland murals . 2016
wanderland murals . 2016
wanderland murals . 2016
wanderland murals . 2016
wanderland murals . 2016
visitors at the wanderland exhibition . 2016 (image courtesy of pawan singh/the national)
wanderland exhibition exterior . 2016
i had the pleasure of working with paris fashion house hermes on a project i am humbled to be a part of. the hermes and dubai tourism teams got in touch, wanting to collaborate on a project that coincided with the dubai shopping festival.
hermes was bringing their exhibition wanderland to dubai, which highlights original historical and contemporary pieces from the fashion house, beautifully presented in an exhibition with the theme of wandering the magical streets of paris. my contribution to the exhibition was a series of murals in the 'street art' themed room.
my inspiration for the murals you see above are a personal interpretation of how i feel when i visit paris. it has this unexplainable magic to it; its rich history mixed with the modern city it is today. wandering the streets of paris is so charming and feels like everything in the city is alive. i took inspiration from visual references about paris that i find iconic, presenting a wonderland, or should i say 'wanderland' themed series of illustrations.
after a long, intense five days of non stop painting and drawing with markers, i am happy to say that the murals were completed in time for the exhibition opening. the reaction was great, and hearing what people had to say was heartwarming. i even got a chance to present my contribution to his highness sheikh mansoor bin mohammed bin rashid al maktoum!
if you haven't yet checked out wanderland, please make sure to do so. besides my work, the exhibition as a whole is impeccable. whether you're a fashion lover or not, this show caters to all. wanderland is up until the 7th february 2016. for more information on wanderland, have a look at the link here.
a few thank you's are in order – a big thank you to both hermes and dubai tourism for getting in touch and selecting me to be a part of the show. i am so happy to be representing my country in the dubai edition of the wanderland exhibition. thank you for the opportunity. also, a big thank you to the electra team for being welcoming and supportive at their warehouse in ras al khaimah where i was stationed for five days completing the murals. lastly, thank you to my friend samad, who assisted me during the five days in ras al khaimah, helping me paint, laugh, and complete the murals on time. if it wasn't for you, i wouldn't have been able to have finished. merci sam!
i end this post with a video by the dubai shopping festival which highlights the wanderland exhibit. plus i make a cameo! enjoy...
