Tag Archives: dubaiart

Sheikh Zayed Mosque – Recycled

Half Melted Ice Cream 45 x 65cm

Half Melted Ice Cream

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45cm x 65cm

This painting/collage/mixed media project was a lot of fun to make. I’ve produced a number of paintings using this style (recycled Acrylic Paint). Since I’m not such a regular painter, I do take long gaps between each of my projects. This leads to numerous containers and palettes of dried acrylic paint. Depending on the type of surface the paint has dried on, the resulting dried paint texture will vary. Some are smooth and glossy. Some remain matte and inflexible. The different forms the paint takes and the blend of colours always amazes me. I love layering these textures on to my recycled paintings. This ones a new favourite of mine – it is titled Half-Melted Ice Cream and is a depiction of Sheikh Zayed Mosque- one of the most beautiful architectural wonders of the world – IMHO.

Why did I title it Half-Melted Ice Cream? Honestly, I wouldn’t be able to tell you why I title most of my paintings the way I do. I probably had a good reason when I was done with this painting, but as I move on with my day and start a number of other projects, whether it is getting started on another painting, or one of my freelance research or writing projects, or working on the AJALA project, I forget what inspired me in the first place. I’m going to make a point to note down my thoughts as soon as I title my paintings.

Half Melted Ice Cream. Perhaps it symbolizes loss of control? The inevitability of chaos? The trajectory of regulation leading to de-regulation? The state of religious and political institutions? The melting away of my childhood ideologies?..Who knows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The AJALA Project – Call for Artist and Changemakers

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The Ajala Project, a Dubai-based community art project, brings together a global community of change makers, nomads, storytellers, and artists to change narratives about underprivileged and voiceless communities around the world. It is a movement that aims to break down barriers between people and places through storytelling and visual arts. This project was conceptualized in June 2016 and consists of co-founders; Hassan Bayo, Giovanni Morra, and myself.

The objective of the project is to provide a platform to empower artists and writers and to showcase ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The artists who agree to collaborate will be matched up with grassroots changemakers around the world and will be asked to produce an artwork inspired by that changemakers journey and cause. The artist, changemaker, and story will all be published on our various platforms. Once the story and illustration is shortlisted by public voters, these illustrations will then be printed on merchandise, from which a percentage will be given to the artist.

Once you decide to join our project as an artist, we will require a short bio with a picture of you, we will pair you up with a nomad/changemaker and send you files relating to the nomad. We do recommend you do your own research, you are also free to connect with the nomad yourself for better inspiration.

Email us at change@theajalaproject.com or find us on FB at: the AJALA project

Sawm

I titled this painting Sawm which means fasting in Arabic.

I completed this painting during the month of Ramadan in Dubai. Ramadan always evokes a basket of conflicting thoughts and emotions and I often find myself experiencing extreme levels of optimism or extreme levels of cynicism. Painting always brings me to a middle ground and let’s me step out of whatever I’m feeling.

 

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