BurJuman Center wears a colourful look with works of artists from around the world


BurJuman Center has been transformed into an art gallery of sorts until November 10. Art lovers are having a field day viewing a wide spectrum of art forms belonging to different schools of thought.

Budding artists have an opportunity to display their art pieces alongside professionals. Painters are seen interacting with passersby whose appreciating glances paint a warm glow on their faces. The ambience enveloping the mall is currently that of a haven for artists and art lovers alike.

Cars, motor cycles, flowers in moulded leather have been transformed into paintings that can adorn walls. These leather paintings and handicrafts and souvenirs from Russia, Ukraine, Spain and Africa are seen at Julia Yakobi's corner on the ground floor of the mall. "I have 35 to 40 paintings in leather, these are also available at our outlet Original and Unique Trading," says Julia who holds a masters degree in art.

She likes to travel the world in search of inimitable pieces of art. A spray painting collection by American Indians, which finds a place alongside the leather paintings, is vibrant with bold and lively colours that speak the language of the native Indians.


Mina Dasani's water colour entitled Head On and Colin Roberts's sandstone works at the shopping mall.© Gulf News
The other interesting assortment of goods seen at this corner are handmade trays from Ukraine, paintings with stones on a marble base, eagles made from wood and as well as a wood base. Russian dolls, which can be used as bottle cases and Russian swans in sparkling colours, represent their country well in their corner.

A large collection of paintings by artists from Ukraine, Spain and Lithuania are diverse in their subjects and art styles. "History" a painting by V. Kot, an artist from Ukraine, has captured the history of the world on canvas. Painter Andrews, "Lady with Umbrella", has used a fresh approach and bright colours. U. Zavalney's paintings stand apart as he has a distinct way of representing sea waves," points out Julia.

Shkapenko, another artist from Ukraine, has seized a landscape of fall and winter very cleverly on his canvas.

United by their passion for art, a group of five artists "Impressions", all sharing a common bond for print-making, have displayed their works. Over the years, members of this group have used their vast knowledge and varied skills to create exciting etchings.

Their continual experimentation with new styles and techniques that utilise a wide range of hand-made paper, often produced by them, is evident in their collective works.


Colin Roberts's sandstone works at the shopping mall.© Gulf News
Terry Onanaian is a specialist in deep etching, "I make my own recycled paper which is much thicker and takes the embossing," she says. Her background in contemporary textiles draws her to the textures and colours she can recreate in her own etching style.

Annemieke Husseini uses a more traditional style in her deep etching. She is an active member of the Dubai International Art Centre (DIAC) and regularly participates in their exhibitions. Ragani Dewan's style is very graphic, she holds a degree in advertising and fashion design. She has done some deep etchings as well. Her designs have simple, straight and clear lines. She enjoys sculpting and painting which is reflected in her mixed media presentations.

Vandana Valrani does some very traditional work which is detailed. She does contemporary styles as well. She is proficient in various forms of art including watercolours, oils, pastels and sculpture.

Deborah Boussaad has done works in etchings and linoprinting. She also enjoys pottery, silk painting and photography and is currently teaching printmaking at the DIAC. This multi-national talented group meets regularly to give each other support and encouragement.

An artist giving live demonstrations of his work is Colin Roberts whose collection of his latest creations in wood include a magnifying glass, hand-crafted with a gold-plated rim and a cleverly-designed bottle holder that keeps a bottle up at a 45 degree angle. His illustrations of some wood designing are also on display.

"I am making some traditional wooden needle cases in English cheery wood with inlay work so that people can see how it is done," explains Roberts. His extensive range of handcrafted sandstone also occupies an important place among his wood works at the mall.

Watercolours in predominantly earthy colours have been an unconscious production of works by Mina Dasani. "It was only when I put up my collection that I realised that I have a prevailing colour scheme. I mainly wanted to portray speed, sand, power and flying and these paintings have excited me the most while creating them," she says.

She has always enjoyed painting happy children and her watercolours of two Omani girls shines through as an example of happy childhood years. New techniques and experimental designs are this artist's forte and the motley of subjects brings this out well.

Duhita Samaiyar, a designer by profession, is now a promising artist who shares her corner with Dasani. She has been painting for over a year now and has taken watercolour classes from DIAC.

Her figurines of ballet dancers are very popular. Right now she is not focussing on any specific style. She explains, "Presently I am just concentrating on getting my drawing techniques and colours right. I want to explore a whole lot of options before I settle on a particular theme or style."