Finding his muse in conventional characters

Abu Dhabi: To the lay person, Tamim — The Lovely Vegetarian Monster — may simply be a detailed oil paint character which is not so easy on the eye. But Manar Laham, its creator, has such passion for the character that he even paid an art gallery not to sell his piece.

"I can never sell Tamim to anyone else. He represents a very significant stage of my life. I ended up completing him on a wooden canvas using traditional oil techniques while working on my digital media masters thesis," Laham said.

"He was a very spontaneous creation that helped me make a mental escape from the digital world," he added.

According to Laham, Tamim is a tax collector for farmers who usually bribe him with vegetables because they know how much Tamim loves his greens.

The artist, who has always been fascinated with creating original characters and studying other people's personalities, believes that Tamim manifests what many do in their day-to-day life and should not be resented for his job as a tax collector.

"He has a very kind heart, regardless of his appearance, and should not be judged for it," he added.

Acquainted with industry

The 27-year-old Syrian artist who holds a strong belief that art illustration is the "third-best thing in the world, after electricity and cheese," is currently a graphic designer at the University of Sharjah. Earlier this year, he visited the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) in hopes of integrating himself more deeply with the UAE's art scene.

"I am still in contact with some of the very professional, down-to-earth, passionate artists I have met at the fair," he said. He also recognises the pros of belonging to the UAE's small art community. "It is very condensed and full of opportunities here," he added.

Having previously practised art in the USA while earning his master's degree in Fine Arts, Laham experienced a change in rhythm after moving to the UAE, which he attributes to the difference in markets and audience.

"However, there is a growing awareness and interest in art in general, and illustration in particular. There are more jobs for illustrators every day. I think things are moving towards the right direction here," he said.

While Laham paves his way to be better known in the region as an artist, he took on several opportunities to showcase his skills through several commission works, which he declined to reveal more about.

During his graduate programme at the Academy of Art University in California in 2008, Laham was handpicked along with five other students by the head of the illustration department to paint a mural at a location which is now an international peace pilgrimage spot.

"We used to work on it on a straight shift from 7am until 6pm. It took us around two to three months to complete the fresco," Laham told Gulf News.

"I consider this to be one of my proudest achievements so far."

Criticism is welcome

Laham emphasised his belief in the importance of criticism for artists, regardless of how much they have achieved.

"I love criticism, if you do not get criticised, you are not benefitting, you are not improving," he said.

Laham's future plans involve publishing a comic book to showcase at next year's ADIBF and revealing Tamim's fiancée in an upcoming short story.