Dubai
Get your pick of art works straight from a portal — this is the proposition newly launched ArtSmiley is putting up for prospective buyers.
“Any artist can register their profile and upload their works for sale, and after verification and curation of the pieces they will be published in the community,” said Lurdh Allam, the portal’s co-founder. “Visitors can then view these works online and if interested they can register as a buyer and snap up the piece of art they want.”
The hand-painted artworks available on ArtSmiley range widely in style and subject, the company said in a statement. The artists are mainly from the region, and “each has a unique outlook on the world”.
To make a splash of its debut, the firm has partnered with Double Tree Hilton at Bay Square, Business Bay. The hotel will open next week, and will have space for UAE artists to exhibit their works right through the year.
Allam insists that ArtSmiley is “not just a business for us, it is a social service that allows us to bring unknown talents to the fore and preserve the culture and traditions of art.”
The platform positions itself as being for lesser known artists looking to showcase their work, and thus establish a reputation in the hugely competitive art world. At the same time, the portal promoters expects to address the problems of everyday art-seekers who wish to decorate their home “without breaking the bank”.
