Abu Dhabi: Suhail Jashanmal was shocked to find that nobody would stop to put out a fire that was burning away a precious mangrove in the Saada area.
"I saw a mangrove tree burning away and no one even bothered to put out the flames. No one helped me either as I put out the fire. And this is when I realised that something needed to be done to immediately cure this indifference," Jashanmal said.
Jashanmal was speaking in the capital at the opening of the Green Art Abu Dhabi 2010, an exhibition he founded to encourage sustainability and environmental awareness within the community.
The exhibition, which will run for three weeks at Abu Dhabi's Zayed Centre for Studies and Research, features 27 pieces of artwork from four artists. The photographs and paintings at the show are based on the common theme of preserving the cultural and environmental beauty of the country.
"With this exhibition, I want to not only demonstrate and celebrate the wealth of cultural and artistic talent in the UAE but also show how important it is to protect the fundamental life force that nurtured this sort of talent," Jashanmal said.
He added that all the proceeds from the exhibition would be donated to the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Future Centre for Special Needs.
