Dubai: The bustling arts scene of Dubai today is a far cry from a time not so long ago. And at the root of this change is Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, formerly known as Bastakiya.
Located in the heart of the old city, the neighbourhood is not only a heritage precinct, but has also nurtured art and artists through the years.
Until a few decades ago, artists had very few options to display their works at art galleries or museums. The arts were confined to a private world with little support for those who craved to pursue this profession. It was only in 1989 that the UAE got its first fine arts gallery — Majlis — at Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, thanks to the efforts of Alison Collins, a British expatriate.
Collins’ Gallery is styled on the lines of old Persian homes — a courtyard with rooms all around it. Every room and wall is carefully decorated with pieces of art and furniture, and works by established and upcoming artists hang side-by-side.
Collins’ journey to becoming the owner of Majlis began when she and her family moved to a home in the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood in 1978. A trained interior designer, her passion for arts went beyond her workspace. She started collecting original art pieces and exhibiting works of artists in the “majlis” area of her home. She would invite friends who shared her interest to these informal gatherings.
She recalls her very first exhibition, which was for the late traveller-painter, Julian Barrow. “He came to Dubai and absolutely loved it. He asked me if I would host an exhibition for him. I was enchanted with his paintings, a lot of it of the [Dubai] Creek, the souq, of the way of life that I had come to love,” she says.
For the event, “we cleared out the furniture from our majlis, our sitting room, and I invited some friends over and they invited theirs. We had a wonderful evening and by the end of the night, we had sold the lot,” she says, referring to Barrow’s paintings and laughs as she reminisces about her early days. “We carried on like that for about the next 10 years, holding informal exhibitions.”
By 1988, her informal exhibitions were a popular hangout. For Collins, home became central to such recreation. But as all good things come to an end, those vibrant times did not last. One day, she was informed that they would be evicted from their home, as there were plans to bring down the entire area. Shocked and saddened at the news, Collins and her family moved out of the home they had grown to love.
Collins, however, did not let this set her back. She began rebuilding what she had once created and lost. And while she was at it, unexpected tidings arrived, as if the wheel of fortune had turned — this time, in her favour. Her previous landlord contacted her a few months later, telling her that the authorities had decided not to tear down her old home and they could move back. But by this time, she had already established herself elsewhere.
The news gave Collins an exciting idea. She decided to turn the home into an official art gallery. And in November 1989, Collins’ old home was opened to the public as the Majlis Gallery. The 10 years she had spent hosting guests at her informal exhibitions became the inspiration behind the gallery’s title.
Although setting up the gallery had its share of struggles, “finding artists has never ever been a problem. What we look for are buyers,” Collins says. “The world abounds with great artists.”
Institutions, such as the Emirates Fine Arts Society in Sharjah and other smaller ones, played their roles in promoting the arts scene, Collins says, but it’s only in the last 10 years that the country has been in the news in the field of arts. “With Dubai growing and more galleries opening up, they [the artists] came here,” she explains. “There was a sudden burgeoning of galleries, and more places where artists could display their work.”
Among the paintings displayed at Majlis are by one of the UAE’s prominent artists, Abdul Qader Al Rais. Collins met before Al Rais was an established artist. “He worked in the Ministry of Labour. He actually processed my first labour card when I moved to the UAE.”
Collins fondly recalls the first time she met Al Rais. “I walked into his office. He was sitting behind this little desk, doodling with a biro on a notepad. I asked him if he was an artist. He replied, ‘No I’m not.’ I told him, ‘I think you’ll find you are.’”
That short exchange was the beginning of a long friendship. Majlis was one of the first galleries to exhibit Al Rais’s works.
Al Rais’s studio is at his home in the Jumeirah area of Dubai. There are about a hundred paintings in the studio. Two large unfinished canvases — his latest creations — lie in the middle of the studio. The room oozes with creativity.
He remembers how he was always drawn to the arts and yearned to paint. But, he says, “there was nothing here in the 1960s” in terms of galleries and support for arts. The death of his father at a young age forced him to move to Kuwait, where he lived with his sister. It was in the school there that he was introduced to art. He started studying all the renowned artists. He calls them his teachers and “the big masters”.
Al Rais recalls one of his school friends advising him, “Don’t waste your time with art. It will not feed you.” That was the general attitude towards arts in those days, but Al Rais was lucky to have his family’s support to pursue his dream.
He sold his first painting in 1968, when he was just 17. “It was not a normal thing to sell a painting in those days,” he says, his eyes lighting up. That feeling, he says, cannot be expressed in words.
Paintings from Al Rais’s teenage years are also kept in his studio. There’s one of a sad boy leaning against a wall, which he calls “Hope”, and another of a group of sad boys sitting on rubble. “I was very lonely then. I had lost my father and missed my mother,” he says. It’s hard to miss the teenager’s loneliness in these remarkable pieces of art.
Al Rais moved back to the UAE in 1974, but he gave up painting. He married and got what he calls a “dependable” job in the Ministry of Labour. But the longing to paint never went away.
In 1986, Al Rais visited the United States. He drove around the country and that experience was enough to rekindle the fire inside him. He wanted to paint everything he saw. Finally, with much encouragement from his wife, he picked up his brush and started painting again. There was no stopping him now.
Al Rais’s works grace places such as the British Museum and the Louvre. “Everything changed after 2005 and 2006,” he says, referring to the increase in the number of galleries and support for artists in Dubai.
Many parents with gifted children approach Al Rais, seeking his advice on how to help them grow as artists. This was something that never happened in the old days, he says. Initially, he did not support even his son in pursuing arts but when he saw how serious his son was, he had to change his mind. His daughter has also followed in his footsteps.
Al Rais is very proud of how far the UAE has come in support for the arts. “Yes, we started late, but we have [done so much],” he says. It’s this change the new generation can benefit from, he adds.
Not only are there countless galleries in Dubai now, but support for artists has also increased exponentially, specially in Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. Places, such as the XVA Gallery in the Neighbourhood, go beyond just the artistic experience. It offers accommodation at its hotel and has a charming café, too. Some of the buildings in Al Fahidi have even been converted into studios for artists looking for a quiet place to work.
Hadil Moufti is one such artist who has a studio in the Neighbourhood. Her unique style is already catching everyone’s attention in Dubai.
Moufti is a Saudi-born artist who travelled the world at a very young age, thanks to her father’s job. The influence of those journeys reflects in her art even today. She went to Parsons School of Design in Paris to study fashion, in the hope of having a “financially secure future”. But soon enough, she realised she could not continue. Her passion for art was far stronger. So she changed her major to arts. Worried that her family might try to make her change her mind, she did not inform them for a while. Eventually she did, and her dedication to art gained their respect and support.
Later, when she had children, she decided to not pursue her work as an artist and concentrate on being a full-time mother. “I didn’t give up on art. I had children, so I did something else for a while. It was conscious decision. Art is not something you give up. I didn’t paint, but I made birthday cards and other things with the children. I just took a long break,” she says.
However, not having painted for more than 10 years took its toll and starting again was fraught with struggle. “I would dream about painting. I was living in London, I got a studio and started painting again. But it was very difficult. I took some art classes and courses to ease me back into painting.”
It wasn’t until she left London for Dubai that she returned to art full time. “The first thing I did after finding a school for the children was to find a studio for myself.” Her studio is a room in one of the old homes in Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. Like the rest of Al Fahidi buildings, it has been restored and converted.
At present, three artists, including Moufti, have rented studios in the building run by Tashkeel, and there’s room for more. She says she looked at studios around the city but none of them had what she found in Al Fahidi — the merging of the old with the new. Her studio has an old windtower directly above her desk — quite an interesting juxtaposition with her modern artworks.
Moufti’s work was exhibited by the Showcase Gallery at Art Dubai 2015. It’s “very exciting” for any artist to be part of a prestigious event, she says.
During the short time she has been in Dubai, she has participated in major art festivals and her work has been picked up by some of the major galleries in town, including Majlis. “There are many opportunities for artists. It is like everything else in Dubai — if you work really hard, you can achieve so much,” she says.
Moufti’s big break came last year when she participated in the Sikka Art Fair, an annual festival organised in Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. For the art fair, which was started in 2011, the entire area is transformed into what can be described as a street party to celebrate the arts. The word “sikka” means alleyways, and as you stroll through the streets of Al Fahidi during the festival, the connection becomes amply apparent.
The streets and buildings of Al Fahidi are filled with art — from paintings, modern installations to poetry and music. The fair is open to everyone, and you can soak in the mood, the air of celebration. That is one of the beauties of the art fair.
Saif Mhaisen, 22, was one of the artists participating at the Sikka Art Fair 2015. Dubai-based Mhaisen draws faces with great attention to detail. His exhibit was a wall covered with faces drawn by him.
For him, the festival meant a place where artists could gather and exchange ideas and learn from one another — something one could not find anywhere else in Dubai.
Al Rais’s work was also exhibited at this year’s Sikka Art Fair, illustrating the diversity of artists it attracts.
During the festival, the small square in the neighbourhood is filled with seats and bean bags facing a stage. As night approaches, the square starts to get noisy with people gathering. There are panel discussions on art, and when they are over, musicians take over. Al Fahidi’s bright, colourful lights come on and the festivities continue till late.
Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood has established itself as a hub for artists and art enthusiasts through the years. It is still pushing the boundaries and doing its bit to provide opportunities to artists. It has indeed come a long way — from comparatively small, private beginnings to an area open to anyone who cares to stop here and be inspired.
Sarvy Geranpayeh is an independent broadcast journalist based in Abu Dhabi.
