Dubai: Besides celebrity concerts, entertainment and shopping opportunities, the Global Village is a also a hub of artistic activities where artists and craftsmen from around the world showcase their skills. Although they have not yet found fame, they are masters in their own right. XPRESS brings you up close with some of these talents.
For the love of pottery
Jordanian potter Mohammad Al Washah loves his craft. Every time he makes a pot he comes up with a new design. Each pot is unique and that is his speciality. He doesn’t believe in painting them as he feels that would give the pots, which are made of natural clay, an artificial look.
Sand artist
You may have seen plenty of sand art bottles, but here is your chance to see live how an artist creates those amazing designs in a glass bottle. Khaled Zalloom from Jordan is only 20 years old but is already a master of this art form.
Bird noise maker
So here is something new to look forward to at the Global Village. It is a mini chip that you can place under your tongue and make all sorts of cute and funny cartoons, birds and animal noises. This again is an art that has to be learned, but guess what, Mathew can teach you all about it on the spot in a minute. This is currently one of the trendiest and in-demand items this year at the Village. You will find Mathew at the Americas pavilion.
Have your art and eat it too
How about a fried ice cream? More than the taste, which is different too, what is interesting is the design. The cream is evenly spread on a flat surface and then designed as required. Some make rose petals, some make rolls out of them. This work, again, clearly requires an artist’s hands.
The caricaturist
If you are bored of selfies – and the pouts – get a caricature of yourself done by Spanish artist Alexander at the Spain pavilion. “It is an artistic way to make others and myself smile,” says the 57-year-old self-taught artist who earns a living by making caricatures of people. On average he takes about 20-30 minutes to do a piece.
Locketsmiths
Customised pendants and lockets are among the most preferred jewellery for women and men all over the world. But did one ever think of the art and the skill involved in their creation? Two brothers, Siddique Ahmad and Jamil Ahmad from Pakistan, are masters of this art which involves a number of complicated steps. Watch how they incorporate calligraphy, carving, polishing, electroplating etc –– all in 30 minutes –– to come up with a finished product ready to be packed.
The painter
Elis, 42, from Kenya makes a living selling his paintings. One of his best, ‘A Night Watch’, was sold in 2006 for about 300,000 Kenyan shillings (Dh10,763). See his collection at the Africa pavilion.
Clay master
Pawn, a self-taught artist from China, makes real-looking figures of people using clay. You give him a regular 2D picture and he recreates a 3D image of it using clay. It’s simply remarkable to see how the figure boasts the same facial features.
