Dubai: Upon every trip to the nearest mailbox, Noor Shamma, an Emirati artist working at Paris Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi, takes a quick photo of her hand placing postcards in the mailbox.
But these are no ordinary garden-variety postcards.
Every postcard Noor sends is personally hand-designed by her using graphics and images provided by local and international artists to help her revive the time-honoured tradition of sending best wishes through snail mail.
“The digital world is taking over the real world. People are losing the essence of physical communication and interaction, so I’ve decided to send a simple postcard, the most basic way of communication, to family, friends and strangers,” she said.
Noor wanted to revive a tradition she holds dear to her heart but which she feels has been lost in the fast-paced digital world. In January this year, she made an announcement on social media asking people to send her their addresses if they wished to receive a postcard in 2015. By mid-February, she received a total of 70 addresses.
“So far I’ve sent out 47 postcards, and I currently have over 200 addresses from 40 countries and 101 cities and counting,” she said.
Noor uses the term ‘artrepreneur’ to refer to herself to illustrate a thinking that transcends art. She wanted to develop her idea into an initiative that people in need could benefit from. She decided to approach both local and international artists including photographers, doll makers, visual artists and jewellery designers to have their work printed on a postcard for Dh500 with 20 per cent of the proceeds going to Noor Dubai Foundation and the remaining money towards the production of postcards.
Noor Dubai has recently endorsed Noor’s initiative, allowing her to place its logo on the postcards.
“This collaboration with Noor Shamma and the supporting artists brings light to our efforts to help restore eyesight as well as provide medication to protect against preventable blindness and provide glasses to those who cannot afford them,” said Dr Manal Omran Taryam, Board Member and CEO of Noor Dubai Foundation.
Dr Manal added that the initiative’s support of our cause is important “since providing the gift of sight aids both economic and social development in countries of need.”
Noor chose Noor Dubai Foundation, a non-governmental, non-profit organisation since it aims at eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally.
“I am very passionate about this cause; the gift of sight. Our senses are things we take for granted. But being an artist allows me to highly depend on my senses to create and execute art,” said Noor.
The young Emirati explained that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) a person goes blind every five seconds.
The passionate artist participated in Noor Dubai Foundation’s Art4Sight Exhibition and auction but did not stop there. She resolved to help others around the world regain their vision.
“The artists send a high-resolution image of their submission and I design, produce and market the postcards while crediting the work of the artists and send these postcards out to different cities around the world — while 20 per cent of the Dh500 goes to my charity of choice, Noor Dubai Foundation,” she said.
Currently, Noor has a total of 42 art submissions from 30 artists in 18 different professions and 14 different nationalities. A common factor in the submissions is the art of giving, she says.
— Maria Botros is a trainee at Gulf News.
