Six artists to follow at World Art Dubai
We shine the spotlight on five upcoming artists who are exhibiting at the event
Under the theme “Inspiring Lifestyle with Accessible Art”, the first ever World Art Dubai hosts an collection of art whose prices are all affordable to a wide range of UAE-based enthusiasts. The event will showcase several hundred modern, contemporary and fine artworks comprising paintings and prints, photography, sculpture, installations, mixed media and street art – presented by international and local artists and galleries from across four continents.
Here are some of the artists whose work you can buy:
1. Jean-Francois Rauzier (France) French surrealist, or hyper-realist photographer has pioneered the concept of "Hyperphoto", which enables him to combine both the infinitely big and infinitely small in a single image. With clever use of digital retouching he is a virtual painter who has broken fresh ground in the avant garde genre of numerical creation. Awarded the Screenings prize in 2006, the Arcimboldo prize for numerical creation in 2008 and the APPPF prize in 2009, his work is exhibited throughout the world most notably in New York, London, Los Angeles and Paris.
His work Arbe de Vie (above) will be presented by the Villa del Arte Galleries, Barcelona.
2. Melisa Mizrakli (Turkey) Young Turkish artist-cum-photographer Melissa Mizrakli focus on the human body. A fan of photography since childhood, Istanbul native Mizrakli continued her higher education in London, where she started out her work as a photographer. Later on, she moved to New York then Los Angeles, where she received a Master’s Degree in photography. Mizrakli has conducted many shooting sessions for Mica Studios and BulletMagazine in New York and had two solo exhibitions in Los Angeles.
Her work Number 8 (pictured) is being shown by New York's Emmanuel Fremin Gallery.
3. Fahima Fattah (Iraq/UAE) Iraq-born, Canada-raised and now Abu-Dhabi-based, Fattah uses a fusion of techniques and tools to explore her main themes of beauty, culture, nature and displacement.
“Culture, nature and emotions are the components forming the backbone of my paintings,” she says. “My moderate skills and creativity in using different techniques and tools, such as pastel, acrylic and oil paintings, are demonstrated in my work, as are my life experiences.”
Among her works to look out for at World Art Dubai is one titled “Immigration”, an oil and acrylic on canvas. Done in a predominantly red palette, it seeks to capture the emotional anguish of people leaving the comfort of familiarity to seek their fortune in an unknown place.
4. Christian De Wulf (Belgium) A graphic designer and trained psychotherapist, De Wulf lives and works in Belgium. With his art studio and psychotherapy practice located in the same building, De Wulf feels this juxtaposition of his profession and his art informs his work. “It is within these boundaries that intimacy can occur and our soul can be touched,” he says on his profile.
Acrylic paint and canvas are the mediums De Wulf handles, combining various techniques to give shape to what at first seems shapeless and formless. The visual impact is of a sense of psychological displacement, putting the emphasis on what is missing rather than what is depicted – an effect he derives from his psychotherapy practice, De Wulf says.
5. Erwin Jose Viado (Philippines) Dubai-based Filipino artist Viado has turned his lack of formal education in the arts into a strength by eschewing what he calls “calculated artistry”. Viado describes his work as echoing the dichotomy between the real and the make-believe world.
An apt example is his work “Spectra”, which will be on display at World Art Dubai. It's an interplay of areas shaded black, white and grey on a black background that look like gem-like shapes.
6. Maryam Alzaabi (UAE) Emirati architect and illustrator Alzaabi spends most of her time drawing and creating art with her hands, using almost any tool or material to explore and experiment with. Her greatest source of inspiration is illustration, whether in comic books, fashion, graphic novels or in the work of artists from all over the world. Her keen interest in the field allows Alzaabi to relentlessly refine her style by experimenting with new and different elements that she incorporates in her artwork.
World Art Dubai takes place at Dubai world Trade Centre from April 8-11.