As the title suggests, The Blonde, The Brunette and The Shaila tells the stories of three women from different cultures. Jennifer Simon was born in the United Kingdom, grew up in Australia and has been living in the UAE for 11 years. She loves to paint cityscapes and the people who inhabit them. Neena Rai is from India and has recently moved to Dubai. Her paintings are inspired by her emotions and her travels around the world. Emirati artist Khowla Darwish was born and raised in Dubai. She presents a contemporary interpretation of her culture and comments on issues she cares about through her art.
"Hair is an integral part of our individual identity and there is a tendency for people to classify women according to their looks, especially their hair. This show is about expressing our identity as women and sharing our life experiences through art. We chose this title because it is fun and funky and aptly describes our diverse backgrounds and the theme of this show," Rai says.
"The three of us come from different cultures, but it is interesting to note that I am fascinated by the local culture and love to paint women in abayas, while Khowla has painted some portraits of Marilyn Monroe," Simon says.
All Simon's paintings in this show feature women. One series is inspired by the beauty and grace of Emirati women and highlights different ways of wearing the shayla, the traditional henna patterns on their hands and their love for trendy accessories. Another set, titled The Four Wives, comprises four paintings of veiled women that represent the wedding ring and the marriage vows — to love, protect and honour.
Darwish's works include etchings, prints, collages and paintings. "I want to use my art to convey messages about things that are close to my heart," she says. Her Black and White series is based on the theme of addiction. "By showing a woman's fingers holding cigarettes and a tree representing family roots, I want to convey that addiction is an unhealthy habit and that it hurts your heart on a physical level and your family on an emotional level. I want to point out that through addiction people suck out their own lives," she says. Another series expresses her grief over the loss of her father and 17-year-old brother. "Their deaths due to heart problems have caused me so much grief and pain, and I constantly express this through the repeated use of hearts in my paintings," she adds.
Darwish has used candy wrappers, used lipstick and nail-polish containers, old handbags and other discarded items to create a series of colourful collages titled Recycled Beauty. "It bothers me that the UAE has one of the highest per capita production of waste. I want to raise awareness about environmental issues and convey the message that waste can be reused, recycled and made into something beautiful," she says. Her Burga'a collection is influenced by the traditional attire of the local women. "Not many are aware that the typical Burga'as were one of the first beauty techniques used by women in the desert. It worked as a sunscreen and was widely used to protect skin from the harsh rays of the sun. Today we have numerous varieties of sunscreen lotions, but in the good old days women had to make do with the Burga'a," Darwish says. The young Emirati is also displaying her Norma Jean series — her own edgy version of Andy Warhol's Monroe portraits. She also comments on social issues with a painting titled Flying Key, which depicts a winged key flying away from a lock on the lips of a veiled woman.
While Simon and Darwish's work has a pop art look, Rai prefers an abstract expressionist style. The artist uses the colours and textures in her abstract mixed media paintings to portray various emotions and explore the healing power of art. She is also exhibiting a set of paintings that pays tribute to Arab women, with portraits of a belly dancing Berber, a woman wearing a brightly coloured hijab and the Egyptian queen Nefertiti.
Each of the three artists has created a painting based on the title of the show. Simon's painting features a light-hearted depiction of the three women in her pop art style. Darwish's version is inspired by the Japanese Manga comics. And Rai's painting shows a tree with three birds with the cosmic universe in the background.
The Blonde, The Brunette and The Shaila will run at Art Select @Level 10, on the tenth floor of the Jumeirah Emirates Tower Hotel until July 29.
