Dubai: An exhibition documenting Ibn Battuta's travels around the world through the abstract eye of veteran artist Judy Roberts will run until December 14 at Ibn Battuta Gate hotel.
The exhibition, "Footsteps, An Arabian Journey" which was launched on November 21 features the artist's latest work which includes Arabesque artwork from Ibn Battuta's country of origin, Morocco and the many countries he visited in his 29 years voyage around the world.
"Today's travellers cannot be compared to the great travellers of old times such as Ibn Battuta," said Judy Roberts, the Dubai based artist that has lived in the UAE since 1983. "Their journey took them years to accomplish; they learnt the culture of the countries they travelled as they went along."
Roberts, who has been long involved in the art scene in Dubai, exhibited her first gallery at the Dubai International Art Centre in 1984. "When I started, the traditional wasn't as accepted and embraced as it is now, the country was trying to move away from the traditional and display the modern through glass buildings and modern hotels. When people visit different places they would like to see the culture of the country and their traditions. Nobody wanted to encourage people to see the culture back then, but now it has changed." Roberts said.
Roberts used different methods in her artwork including mixing old and new forms of arts and media to create her own vision of the traveller's voyage.
"The gallery is more contemporary work, an area I've been in for the past 10 to 15 years. I used several methods such as pencil, oils, watercolour, coloured pencil, pastels and sometimes layered it with calligraphy of ancient Persian poetry." Roberts said.
The displayed pieces illustrated images that the artist witnessed in her travels in India or Morocco, and some displayed a strong essence of the local culture and heritage. "A lot of themes displayed in the art can be seen as cross-cultural. There is a piece in here which is called Zenana which is often mistaken for a Spanish-inspired art. But it actually displays an Indian woman from Hijra. I believe that a lot of elements from different cultures travelled from one country to another whether through poets, writers, merchants, and of course travellers." Roberts added.
The artist's involvement in the art scene and preservation of heritage, culture and local wildlife started with her early beginnings in Dubai as an artist.
"My involvement with different wildlife reservations such as Sharjah Natural History Museum and Breeding Centre, Arabian Leopard Trust and the Saluki Breeding Centre resulted in me receiving an invitation to draw several set of stamps for the UAE postal service." Roberts said.
