Dubai Online Art GalleryArtezaar has brought together local artists for a unique virtual exhibition that aims to shed light on environmental sustainability. Curated by Diyali Sen Bhalla, the "Earth" themed exhibition comprises 33 stunning mixed media and sustainable artworks created by 25 UAE based artists of 10 different nationalities, in addition to six children’s paintings that celebrated their love for "Mother Earth", demonstrating that age is no barrier to creativity.
The artworks were first displayed at the 10th edition of DIFC Art Nights on 17th and 18th November 2020, where visitors were offered the opportunity to learn about environmental issues and how to live more sustainably from Unite for Planet, a community of environmentalists, along with their partners: Azraq, DGrade, GreenFootprint.ae and Plastic Free UAE.
The exhibition was opened by Mr. Khalil Abdulwahid Hassan, Director of Fine Arts Department, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, Mr. Saleh Al Akrabi, CEO of DIFC Properties and Mr. Faisal Abdulqader, a well-known Emirati artist.
Khalil Abdulwahid, Director of Fine Arts Department at Dubai Culture& Arts Authority, said: "It was very interesting to see so many emerging artists gather in one place to showcase their art with such a powerful message dedicated to the environment and sustainability, and how the artists showed this message in their creations and explanation. The participation of the environment supporters and organizations added to the message and it was interesting to learn more about their upcoming plans.”
Saleh Al Akrabi, CEO of DIFC Properties commented: “We were pleased to welcome the tenth season of DIFC Art Nights, one of DIFC’s most anticipated lifestyle events of the year. This annual event reflects our commitment to realising Dubai’s Culture and Arts strategy and celebrating the vibrant arts scene of our cosmopolitan city. Sustainability is at the heart of the DIFC and we are committed to sustaining our environment and engaging our community of more than 25,000 professionals as well as visitors to the Centre. We were delighted to host this important exhibition which shed a light on environmental sustainability”.
Leena Kewlani, Co-Founder of Artezaar.com Art Gallery, said: "At Artezaar, our artists wanted to honor Earth and the environment around us by expressing it through their art. Their pieces were creative, out of the box, yet so meaningful. And DIFC Art Nights was the best platform to showcase these unique paintings."
The artists used all types of materials for their paintings – from leaves, flowers, t-shirts, denims, sticks, plastic, cartons, broken mirrors – to create sustainable artworks, portraying their emotions and feelings towards Planet Earth. Unite for Planet partners Azraq exhibited a unique lamp representing a jelly fish created by Mariska Nell using plastic cutlery that was collected through Azraq’s useless utensils campaign, while D Grade showcased how plastic bottles can be recycled into clothing, including face masks. Visitors also got the chance to pledge to live more eco-friendly lives by upcycling a scrap sofa, while an old carton box was used as a live graffiti banner for GreenFootprint.ae’s message of saying no to plastic bags.
“The DIFC Art Nights is an exciting occasion and a place to be, with so much art to see, live activities and entertainment going on. For the first time, it was hosted for two days and both nights were packed with art lovers. This goes to show how much the community here values and appreciates art and wants to be a part of it. I would like to thank Artezaar and the artists for working together on bringing these creations, and DIFC for providing this important platform for Dubai’s art scene”, added Khalil Abdulwahid.
Those that missed the event can browse and buy the paintings online in a virtual art gallery here: https://artezaar.com/pages/difc-art-nights