UAE | Heritage and Culture
Profession
Twenty-five-year-old Amnah Al Za'abi is a freelance illustrator who has been commissioned to illustrate for prominent UAE establishments and noticed by international art critics.
- Abbas Al Lawati, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 March 31, 2007
- Image Credit: Courtesy: The Third Line
- By Amnah Al Za'abi.
Twenty-five-year-old Amnah Al Za'abi is a freelance illustrator who has been commissioned to illustrate for prominent UAE establishments and noticed by international art critics.
Hoping to be able to run her own studio some day, Amnah says that enthusiasm for art in the UAE is not enough to have the profession as a primary source of income yet, but adds that she has been encouraged by the support she has received. "There isn't a big audience for art here, and even lower interest among the Emirati community, but it is growing. Our taste in art is slowly developing".
Amnah says her art reflects the vibrancy and energy of Dubai. Some of the elements that can always be found in her art work are Arabic letters or gutra (headdress) designs along with the ultramodern and diverse feel of her city.
According to her, the only way the art scene here could grow would be through a competitive art industry, and a system that recognises and rewards talent. "We should have awards or other forms of recognition, which will encourage artists as well as spread awareness about art."
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