Tag: Bastakiya

ART DUBAI + JOHN JONES ART ON PAPER AWARD + SIKKA AND MORE

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I loved 'Aquarium' by Beatriz Milhazes at the Cartier enclave in Art Dubai

The last two evenings have been awesome with me doing whistle stop tours of the galleries at Art Dubai after work.

Its awesome to see so many familiar faces and art enthusiasts lapping it up….my favourite area this year has to be the Cartier enclave. I didn’t want to leave as it was like a mini paradise set up to entice us and although I am not such a great fan of most Cartier jewellery, I have to say they really know how to pull the crowds with the ambience they have created at this years Art Dubai.

One hot news that has emerged is that the judges of the John Jones Art on Paper Award have selected artists Hassan Sharif (UAE) and Luis Camnitzer (Uraguay) as dual recipients of the inaugural award. The two artists are shown on the stand of New York gallery Alexander Gray Associates…. I went to see their gallery amongst others and they have some super talented people this year featured at the stands.

This Award was conceived by master framers John Jones Ltd. and Art Dubai to recognize the potential for excellence and innovation for works made on paper.  Sharif and Camnitzer will be given the opportunity to present a dedicated exhibition in Dubai between March 2012-2013, and in addition to the artists receiving a cash prize, the winning works will be acquired by the John Jones Contemporary Art Collection in London.

I also came across the information on SIKKA and the ArtBus concept which I think is a superb idea for people who really want to see all the art scene that Dubai has to offer without worrying about transport, parking etc….diva likes this idea heaps.

To make it more interesting,  the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture commissioned UAE-based artist UBIK, to design the SIKKA ArtBus. The ArtBus, organised by ArtintheCity and thejamjar, in partnership with the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, serves as a convenient guide for visitors to various art fairs, galleries, educational and interactive talks, and other art events taking place in Dubai. Another bus acts as a complimentary ArtBus shuttle, taking passengers to and from SIKKA 2012, until March 24.

SIKKA 2012 is held at the historic Al Bastakiya, the vibrant cultural nerve-centre of Dubai….there is so much more to enjoy in terms of Art in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi that I don’t know where to start and where to stop…..all I can say is that the UAE totally rocks when it comes to the Art scene this month. There is no place in the world I would like to be in right now, my home country Fiji Islands included (Fiji is a paradise and the way the world should be so me saying that in March I reckon UAE is more fun than Fiji means a lot).

 

The Cartier area at Art Dubai


Mawaheb

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Next week, like many weeks recently, Dubai will see a surge in art exhibitions by artists of all ages, different backgrounds and mediums. A few have impressed me and I felt like writing a bit about them despite the hectic schedule of the Dubai Fashion Week that has kept us running all over the city in the evenings. I particularly liked the off beat ones organised to support noble causes.

For those who are not familiar with Art Sawa, their next bit is presented by Mawaheb from beautiful people called ‘Walk into our world’. Mawaheb is the Arabic word for ‘talented’. They are a non-profit art studio for young adults with special needs, the first of its kind in the UAE and located in Dubai’s cultural and historical district, Al Bastakiya.

Most artists, aim to create their own identity by forming a style that is unique. However, the artists from Mawaheb are gifted with an untainted and unique view of the world around them, vividly
reflected in the beautiful art that they create in their studio.

Most people say that about the paintings done by innocent children as well. A lawyer friend of mine last month showed me some amazing paintings done by his two daughters during their playtime. I was so impressed by the vivid use of colours and wished I had spent time with Tash doing these kind of creative activities while she was younger. I hope its not too late for her to invest more than an hour she gets in art class at school after hours.

Mawaheb guys endeavour as an art studio to be self sustainable and all money raised will be invested back into the future development of the studio, which will in turn benefit their artists. If you do have time to drop into Art Sawa next week, I am sure you will be inspired. I have made up my mind to give up gym for one evening and drop by on the way home after work to see what these young generation of artists have come up with.