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| from puppet making workshops . 2015 |
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| from pattern making workshops . 2015 |
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| from collage making workshops . 2015 |
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| result from pattern making workshops . 2015 |
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| result from collage making workshops . 2015 |
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| result from puppet making workshop . 2015 |
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| result from stamp making workshops . 2015 |
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| final artworks exhibited at al hefaiyah mountain conservation centre . 2016 |
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| final artworks exhibited at al hefaiyah mountain conservation centre . 2016 |
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| hides (azim al ghussein & khalid mezaina) . 2015 |
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| defends (khalid mezaina & azim al ghussein) . 2015 |
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| joints (azim al ghussein & khalid mezaina) . 2015 |
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| eats (khalid mezaina & azim al ghussein) . 2015 |
just after summer 2015, i was invited to facilitate a series of children's workshops in the eastern region of the uae, specifically kalba and khor fakkan. i worked on these workshops alongside my dear friend, and insanely talented, azim al ghussein. the aim of these workshops were to create final artworks with works done by the children, which will be permanently exhibited at the al hefaiyah mountain conservation centre in kalba.
azim and i worked with children from youth centers in kalba and khor fakkan, working with 4 youth centers in total, offering 2 workshop sessions in each. the focus of these workshops were to educate the students about the wildlife found in the emirates through art. looking past the obvious camels and falcons, the workshops aimed at educating students about the various animals that exist, and their behaviors.
for the four workshops, the different art techniques we focused on were puppet making, collage, stamp and pattern making. students were thought the basics of these techniques and were then asked to create artworks. in the end, all the student artworks were collected and digitized to later create the final artworks you see above.
the final artworks, along with the technique used, reflects a specific behavioral pattern of the animals. so patterns reflected the various patterns and skins on different animals, collage focused on the defense mechanisms of various animals, puppet making reflected the anatomies of the animals, and stamps focused on the hierarchy of the food chain in the animal world.
the final artworks are currently exhibited at the al hefaiyah mountain conservation centre, which recently opened earlier this month. make sure to head to the centre. it's an amazing space and truly educational. i am extremely proud to be a part of such an important institution in the uae. definitely worth the long drive.
thank you to the al hefaiyah center for the opportunity. also thank you michel and sophy for bringing me on board this project and for your patience throughout this entire process. also, thank you to the kids at the youth centers – hope we did you proud and sparked the inner artists in you. lastly, a big thank you to azim, for being my partner in crime on this project. i wouldn't have been able to have done it without you.
stay tuned for part two of my post on the al hefaiyah centre, where i'll be sharing another project i had the opportunity of working on for the centre.
