Artists in Focus 2022 - Coffee Table Book by Magzoid Magazine

1
PRESENTS

We dedicate this book to the creative community and thank them
for their contribution towards building a beautiful future for
us and our upcoming generations.
We believe in YOU.
1

His Highness
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
“We may not live for hundreds of years, but the products of
our creativity can leave a legacy long after we are gone.”
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Her Highness
Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
“We are proud that the city has truly become a global centre for arts, culture
and creativity, a place where we empower and enable our home-grown talents,
and welcome creatives from all over the world, offering them a home where
they can thrive on a professional and personal level.”
3

Published By:
MCFILL MEDIA &
PUBLISHING GROUP
Licensed By: National Media Council,UAE
© COPYRIGHT
Magzoid has taken constant efforts to make sure that content is accurate as on the date of publication. All content is published in a good faith and opinions and
views are not necessarily those of the publishers. We regret that we cannot guarantee and accept no liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by this coffee
table book and errors and for the accuracy of claims in any forms by any reader. We advise the readers to seek the advice of specialists before acting on information
published in the book. The trademarks, logos, pictures, domain names and service marks (collectively the “Trademarks”) displayed on this book are registered and
unregistered Trademarks of Magzoid and its content providers. All rights reserved and nothing can be partially or in whole be reprinted or reproduced or stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form without a written consent.
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SUPPORTED BY
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6
PRESENTS

PREFACE
Magzoid Magazine is extremely pleased to celebrate and honor the extraordinary work of artists with the launch of
“Artists in Focus, 2022”. The idea behind launching this platform is to recognize and support the creative industry and
acknowledge the hard-work that is being put by each of the featured artists in this book. Featured are some of the trailblazers
driving a change to take the world towards a better future. Being the leading luxury magazine in the creative segment of
MENA, this initiative of ours is well-inclined with our mission to support and grow the creative economy.
We strive towards building a community of creatives from all the genres who would be paving the path towards an
exceptional future. Our core stands on four pillars: Creativity, Unity, Innovation and Upliftment. With these pillars intact,
we are confident in bringing some revolutionising ideas and changes which will have a direct or indirect positive
impact on businesses and the economy.
In line with the celebration of the 50 years of the UAE, this book features 50 outstanding artists from different parts of the
world. Each of the 50 artists handpicked in this book have been curated to showcase their uniqueness and talents.
Magzoid Magazine has always been proud to have begun its journey here in the UAE and the major factor is the
vision and the support from the leadership that the country witnesses.
We are proud to support the goals of The National Strategy for Cultural and Creative Industries, launched by
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and the Ruler of Dubai.
“The Dubai Creative Economy Strategy aims to transform the emirate Dubai into an
international destination for creativity and the capital of creative economy by 2025.”
With our current initiatives, we aim at making the creative community of the UAE to lead the physical and digital forefront
now as well as in the future. The same ideology would be reflected in our future initiatives as well.
We hope you enjoy reading this book as much as we enjoyed making it.
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Contents
A
12-13 | ABDUL QADER AL RAIS
F
28 | FABIANO MILLANI
14 | AMBER TYLDESLEY
29 | FAISAL ABDULQADER
8
15 | ANASTASIA KUSTOVA
16 | ANASTASIA TRUSOVA
B
17 | BEAU B. FRANK
C
18 | CARINA FRANCIOSO
19 | CARLA GRACE
D
20 | DDAVE POLLOT
21 | DEBBIE WINGHAM
22 | DOINA VITU
E
23 | EEMAN ZUBAIR SHAIKH
24 | ELENA ZERNOVA
25 | EMILIE FANTUZ
26 | ERICK CENTENO
11 | LEONARDO
DA VINCI
-QUOTE
27 | VINCENT VAN
GOGH-QUOTE
30 | FATIMA AL HAMMADI
G
31 | GALINA GOLOVCHAK
H
32 | HENA SHAKEEL
I
33 | IMAN TALIB ALRASHDI
J
34 | JOSHUA MIELS
K
35 | KRISTEL BECHARA
L
36 | LAURA TOMLINSON
M
37 | MAI MAJDY

Contents
38-39 | MAGED MAKRAM SHEROUBI
40 | MARINA ZOTOVA
41 | MARISSA OOSTERLEE
N
42-43 | NADA AL BARAZI
44 | NADIA ADAMENKO
46 | NICK SIDER
47 | NOEMI SAFIR
48 | Norris Yim
P
49 | PETER TERRIN
50 | PHILIPP WEBER
51 | POLUYANSKAYA ELIZAVETA
R
52 | RAFA TOM
54 | RAFAEL A FONSECA
55 | RAISA MARJAN
56 | RAOOD HAGHIGHI
S
57 | SACHA JAFRI
58-61 | SANA SAJAN
62-63 | SAVITA MALIK
45 | MICHELANGELO
-QUOTE
53 | PABLO
PICASSO-QUOTE
64 | SERGEY PISKUNOV
65 | SOPHIE GREEN
66-67 | SOUMYA SHREE
68 | SUJITH PUTHRAN
70 | SUSMITHA DHRUVA CHITRADURGA
T
72 | TANNAZ KHALEGHIAN
V
72 | VARSHA SUREKA
Y
73 | YOUNG – SUNG KIM
69 | CLAUDE MONET
-QUOTE
9

50
ARTISTS
10

“The painter has the
Universe in his mind
and hands.”
Leonardo Da Vinci
11

ABDUL QADER
AL RAIS
United Arab Emirates
Abdul Qader Al Rais is an Emirati artist who is considered to be one of the most iconic painters of the country. A self-taught artist, Abdul
Qader explores the landscapes and traditions of his homeland. His early works were realistic renderings of landscapes, traditional Emirati
architecture, dhow fishing boats, and coastlines. More political themes permeated his work in the late 1980s and early 1990s, particularly
concerning Palestinian struggles. He later shifted his approach to a mixture of abstraction and calligraphy, focusing on the contours of Arabic letters,
which are now regarded as his signature style. A founding member of the Emirates Fine Arts Society, retrospectives of Abdul Qader’s extensive
artistic career have been held at the Sharjah Art Museum, and the Institut du Monde Arabe (Arab World Institute). The artist was featured in the
UAE Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale, and his work is currently held by The British Museum, the Louvre, the Northwest Museum of Culture and
Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai, and the Museum of Modern Art in New Delhi. His work has also been displayed at the European
headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, and his public murals can be found in the Dubai Airport and the Dubai Metro. Among his numerous
awards are the Sheikh Khalifa Prize for Art and Literature, Abu Dhabi (2006); Golden Palm Award, Gulf Cooperation Council Art Exhibition, Doha
(1999); first prize at The UAE in the Eyes of Its Artists, Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation (1999); Sultan Al Owais Award for Scientific Studies and
Creativity, Dubai (1992, 1994, 1996) and first prize at the UAE Exhibition in China (1991).
12

13

AMBER TYLDESLEY
United Kingdom
Amber Tyldesley is a 27-year-old wildlife artist from Warrington in
the UK. Working predominantly in acrylics, her artwork derives
from a fascination with the intricate details, textures and colours
found within the natural world. “Acrylics are my chosen medium. The
animal kingdom offers unlimited inspiration. From familiar favourites
such as tigers and lions to less-represented species like pangolins
and okapis, I find every species has a story to tell and intriguing set of
behaviours to reveal. Whatever the subject may be, I want my pieces to be
bold- capable of celebrating the incredible beauty of the natural world,”
says Amber. She has been a finalist in the David Shepherd Wildlife
Foundation ‘Wildlife Artist of the Year’ competition for the past three
consecutive years, receiving highly-commended awards from the judging
panel on each occasion. Her jaguar piece ‘Closing In’
was also voted the ‘People’s Choice’ winner in the
2019 competition. Amber was selected as the
David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s first
‘Artist of the Month’ during July 2020, with
sales raising over £2000.00 for the charity
during this time. Supporting conservation
efforts remains at the heart of her work,
and over the past three years artwork sales
have raised over £9000.00 for projects
across Africa and Asia. She views her art
as a way to connect with unfamiliar and
endangered species, and to in turn raise
awareness for their precarious position
within the world.
14

ANASTASIA KUSTOVA
Russia
Anastasia Kustova is a watercolor artist based in Russia. Art is her
love, life, and passion. Through her work, she wishes to portray
the beautiful world around her and share with the world what
she loves and feels. From 2006, Anastasia worked in graphics using
different materials. It was from 2014 that she moved to watercolor
painting. The themes she focuses mainly on in her artworks are sea and
city landscapes as well as sketching people. She believes that creativity
unites the people and makes the world a better place to live in. Anastasia
is a member of the Union
of Russian watercolorists and
an IWS member. She
has immense experience in
outdoor painting.
Since 2017, she has been
conducting a
lot of master classes
all over the
world and has several
en plein airs
workshops in Russia
and abroad.
Works of Anastasia
are in the
private collections in
Slovenia, US,
Ukraine, and Russia.
15

ANASTASIA TRUSOVA
Belgium
Anastasia Trusova is an artist who specializes in acrylic painting
which revolves around her main theme of nature. She has chosen
to work with acrylic colors as she feels it is a real treasure for
those who like to experiment and there are no limits to it due
to its quick drying time. Always being surrounded
by trees, fields, and forests, watching the dawn,
inhaling the smell of wet grass, and listening to
the sound of the wind is what she considers as
real happiness. “In nature, each branch, each
leaf, each flower is unique. It is very interesting
to examine their bends and then try to paint on
the sheet,” says Anastasia. She believes that
creativity is freedom as well as a way of selfexpression.
“I love graphics, sculpture, and
painting. I could not refuse anything and so
began to paint as I liked, and named my style
texture-graphic impressionism,” she says.
16

BEAU B. FRANK
California, USA
Beau Bernier Frank is a French-American oil painter based out of Big
Sur, California. He spent the last 6 years exploring all the various
aspects of life and recently came to the conclusion that art was
something he really enjoyed. Art, for him, is something he could envision
playing a larger role in both his life and others. His series “Off The
Grid” features a combination of black and white portraits
with colorful landscapes highlighting places from his
surrounding area as well as places he has travelled to.
The need to capture the feelings of longing and nostalgia
around the places are mirrored through the various
destinations featured in each of his works. Beau says, “I
want creatives to see the ins and outs of the beautiful but
challenging process of pursing an interest and making it
a part of a daily routine. To not fall in love with the
final product but the steps in between that
made it all possible”. He photographs
the work he is creating, shares the
work in progress and documents
the arc of a painting through
time-lapses and videos on his
Instagram handle @beaubfrank
or his YouTube channel. To know
more about his artwork, visit the
website beaubernierfrank.com.
17

CARINA FRANCIOSO
Canada
Carina Francioso is a multi-award-winning Canadian fine artist
whose work can be seen in private and corporate collections all
over the world. Her contemporary realist oil paintings reflect her
rigorous attention to detail. Carina’s paintings, which are inspired by
her life and travels, capture moments frozen in time while also inspiring
the viewer’s imagination, allowing them to create their interpretation.
Carina’s
art evolves throughout time, yet her intimate
journey with each brushstroke and detail
remains the same. Her work is a clear
representation of her love of life and
her insatiable curiosity for beauty
and fluidity.She has spent her
entire life around water and had
no idea that it would find its way
into her art until one summer
in Italy when she captured the
Ionian Sea. The view enthralled
her, and she knew these pictures
would have an impact on her next
body of work. “My experiences with
water have inspired my paintings
and my goal is that my work will
elicit meaningful memories or
responses in the viewer, as water is
universal and connects us all” says
Carina.
18

CARLA GRACE
Australia
Carla Grace is an artist based in Australia who attempts
to capture the grace of our planet on her canvas. She
follows the trends of ‘Realism’ and shares her emotions
through her artworks. She aims to create tangible life on the
canvas so that people viewing the artwork
can feel the presence of the animal
she paints in the room as though
they are right in front of the eyes.
She posts videos showing the
process that goes behind each
artwork and shares many tips and
tricks for artists to enhance their art.
Through these informative videos,
she has been quite useful for the
people who are trying to develop
their artistic careers. “I am inspired by
the person I hope to be in 10 years. I
imagine what she needs me to do, to
have faith in now, and it motivates
me to be the best artist I can be
today” says Carla.
19

DAVE POLLOT
United States of America
Dave Pollot is an artist based in New York known for his altered
thrift art paintings. He finds unwanted artwork and adds his
own touch, most often pop culture parodies, and in doing so,
bridges the divide between classic and pop art. By adding his own
unique touches to the art found in thrift stores, he
transforms mundane scenes into sensational art
pieces that are entertaining and inspiring. Each
new piece presents a new set of challenges, and
learning to work in a variety of styles and master
new techniques has kept his attention. It’s also
an interesting challenge to develop a narrative
and tell a story with a painting – the backgrounds
provide the framework to use to build a story.
His artwork has been displayed and found
homes in galleries, businesses, and private
collections in all 50 states in the US and
over 40 countries around the globe.
His work has attracted attention
from the media both in the
U.S. and abroad, including
Business Insider, Instagram,
and the SyFy Channel.
20

DEBBIE WINGHAM
United Arab Emirates
Debbie Wingham, an artist based in the UAE took her art to a new
level by thinking out of the box- which led to what is dubbed as
the world’s most expensive black diamond dress. It was the start
of what would become her signature in the art world; diamonds and lots
of it. She has released an art collection around the theme of ‘Time’ that
pays homage to Dubai. The oil-painted collection, named ‘Dubai Through
the Years’ features Dubai’s architecture including, Dubai Frame, the Burj
Khalifa, and the Dubai Creek Tower, representing Dubai’s past present,
and future. She took the circular artwork one step further with
the exquisite frame that is dubbed the most
expensive picture frame in the world currently.
Studded with more than 10,000 individual
diamonds, the frame includes pointer diamonds,
white diamonds, and sapphire, making the frame
itself 1.5 Million pounds.
Debbie debuted her first creation, the stunning
Black Diamond dress which broke records, hailed
as the world’s most expensive dress at the time.
At a price point of £3.5m, the dress is adorned
with 50 two-carat black diamonds. Wingham’s
portfolio expands to creating the world’s most
expensive shoes. Worth Dhs55M, the diamonds
used are quite rare. She has proved to be a
diverse artist who can make the ordinary
into extraordinary while pushing the
boundaries of conventional art.
21

DOINA VITU
United Kingdom
Doina Vitu is an artist based in the UK who specializes in
landscape and seascape paintings. She follows the trends of
traditional art and realism. Whether it be oil colors, acrylics,
or watercolor, she succeeds in creating marvelous and mesmerizing
artwork. Through her artworks, Doina wishes to showcase how beautiful
nature and the world around us is. “I want people to understand how
important it is to protect nature and be responsible for what we leave
behind. With my paintings, I want to help people relax
and to reconnect with nature,” she says. She is
extremely proud of the fact that her artworks have
reached people from countries like Canada and
Germany to Spain and Holland. “Whether you
choose to visit a gallery or you paint, art can relax
you”, she says. Doina is convinced that for every
painting there is a lover, there is a wall and a
welcoming house. Currently, she is working on a
series called “exod” which aims to highlight the
problem of wild animals that
are driven out of their natural
habitats due to overcrowding
and urban construction.
22

EEMAN ZUBAIR
SHAIKH
United Arab Emirates
Eeman Shaikh is a self-taught artist based in the UAE. Having been raised in Abu Dhabi and Mumbai, she has been exposed to diverse art
culture. Her preferred materials and medium to work with are glitters, mosaic tiles, modeling paste, glass beads, pens and markers. She
uses different arabic scripts on her works. “With the help of Quranic depictions, I hope to reach masses and relate to all stages of their lives
through my artwork,” says Eeman. Though she doesn’t have a formal education in art, nothing stopped her from pursuing her passion. She has
always been creative and intends to improve and nurture her skills everyday regardless of the obstacles or the path. Creating art pieces that
honor Quranic verses written on them, she tries to relate to various stages of people’s lives in order to inspire them to be better people. Her
goal through her art is to bring peace to the viewer’s eyes and hearts with the use of colors, patterns, designs and mostly importantly
the beautiful verses. She believes these works of art will spiritually motivate them to deal with various situations and become
a better version of themselves. Her recent art exhibitions include a group art exhibition “Endless Boundaries” in hotel Four
Points by Sheraton in Dubai and 50th National Day Art Competition and Exhibition by ARTOZE at Ajman.
23

ELENA ZERNOVA
Ukraine
Elena Zernova is a Ukrainian artist specializing in resin art.
Being a resin artist is a lot different from being a regular painter
since the materials used are completely different. Art resin is a
recently fashioned style of resin which contains chemical less toxicant,
specially created to be used for creative purposes. She follows the
trends of seascape in her resin works. The technique
to create beautiful and realistic ocean art
involves pouring layers of resin in various
shades of blue and then finishing with a
layer of white. This mixture gets pushed
around with a hairdryer to create
a lacing effect reminiscent of sea
foam. Resin is essential to creating
realistic ocean art. Its clarity,
consistency and gloss replicate
the look of water in a way you
simply can’t get with any other
medium. Elena is proud of the fact
that she is at the top of her game
when making realistic seabed with
resins.
24

EMILIE FANTUZ
United States of America
Emilie Fantuz is an American artist whose works are focused on
American realism. In American realism, the artwork handles
common-places, everyday events, and people. Her works can also
be described as Ashcan school which is another artistic movement that
highlights how art can provide enlightenment, education, and spiritual
fulfillment. “Through depicting the beauty in everyday moments —
the hazy glow of moonlight on a darkened city street, the endlessly
intersecting squares and rectangles of shop signs in the distance — I
highlight the beauty that sits ready and waiting for our eyes, only if we
choose to look”, she says. The subtle visions of optimism in our lives
inspire her the most. These scenes remind us that beauty is always near,
even in the moments, it seems so far. She has made constant efforts to
work with galleries, public art projects,
juried exhibitions, and more, to share her
paintings with the community. The elements
of the city that sparks her interest include
neon signs, corner stores, and reflections
from various surfaces. For her, creativity
and the act of making art are extremely
important. She is inspired by less obvious
sights of beauty and giving them a whole
new life through her different view.
25

ERICK CENTENO
Italy
Erick Centeno Ohlitas is a Peruvian artist who resides in Genoa,
Italy. Art has always been close to him since his father was an
avid painter and taught him how to produce them. He began his
artistic journey by making realistic drawings with pencils and then got
attracted by the scribble technique. Becoming more
aware of his surroundings, he is constantly
struck by new ideas. For instance, when he
walks down the street or watches a movie,
he observes keenly how he can replicate
it into his art giving it his personal touch.
Erick has exhibited at SaturArte 2020 , 25
concorso d’arte contemporanea a cura
di Mario Napoli , Genova Italia, Biennale
Genova 2019 “Dancing Heart” up-andcoming
prize, Design and Fly 2019 Volotea
event with Showusyourtype, Art Expo 2018 ,
5^ Contemporary art exhibition
in Genoa, International
contemporary art
exhibition, Italy 2017
Satura art Gallery and
Spoleto arte incontra
Venezia 2016,
Contemporary art
exhibition in Venice.
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“If you hear a voice
within you say ‘you
cannot paint,’ then
by all means paint,
and that voice will be
silenced.”
Vincent Van Gogh
27

FABIANO MILLANI
Brazil
Fabiano Millani is a painter born in São Paulo, Brazil. The style of art
he mainly focuses on currently is Hyperrealism. Fabiano believes
he is still at the beginning of his work as the desire to learn is still
the same. In 2005, he started his first work on figurative style, painting
several canvases inspired by day-to-day life and experiences. “My interest
in art
arose through observation. I always enjoyed scribbling
while
waiting for something or even during classes. It was
something intuitive which emerged little by
little
and ended up becoming indispensable in
my
daily life”, says Fabiano. During
her artistic
journey,
Fabiano developed a
unique technique showing
the fastest and easiest way to achieve
hyperrealism in a single coat of
paint. Between 2016 and today,
Fabiano gives workshops,
taking the technique he
developed to several countries
around the world, such as
Italy, Mexico, Argentina,
Qatar, Uruguay, Turkey,
Brazil, among others.
Most of his works are acquired
by foreign clients from various
countries around the world.
28

FAISAL ABDULQADER
United Arab Emirates
Faisal AbdulQader is a self-taught Emirati artist who fell in love
with art in his childhood and nurtured this hobby by reading
art-related books, meeting with and learning from different artists
across the globe as well as visiting international art museums. His career
and working in the financial sector for 30 years resulted in an unwanted
distance from his favorite hobby. In 2012 he decided to unleash the talent
to the world after his official retirement from the financial sector. Faisal
prefers to shed light on the more traditional side of the city through his
oil paintings. He has painted scenes that evoke the Dubai he remembers
from his childhood – of cooling wind towers, fishing dhows, a fisherman
mending his nets, classic Emirati teapots, and carved
wooden doorways. Faisal’s family used to live in
a house in the oldest part of Dubai, Al Fahidi
Historical Neighborhood, where the houses
made from gypsum and coral have been
well-preserved and still retain the traditional
features that he loves to paint. His recent
exhibitions include Memories Art Exhibition
in November 2016 at Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais
Foundation, Noor Gallery as part of Noor Bank
Wealth private viewing as well as one at the
Embassy of Mexico in UAE in 2020. He is planning
for a 2022 Solo Exhibition to showcase all of
his past artworks.
29

FATIMA AL HAMMADI
United Arab Emirates
Fatima Al Hammadi is an Emirati artist having 23 years of
experience in Fine Arts. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the UAE University, she works in the field of
visual arts curricula at the Ministry of Education. Recently she
has started with the art of calligraphy combining it
with fine arts. Fatima is also the leader of the UAE
Grafitti artists which is the first local graffiti
group. She has participated in several art
projects that have entered the Guinness
World Records such as the longest graffiti
wall in Dubai in 2014, the longest glow
in the dark graffiti wall in 2016, and the
largest stencil mural. Fatima has also been
a part of over 50 national exhibitions and
some international exhibitions in London,
Berlin, and Sri Lanka.
30

GALINA GOLOVCHAK
Russia
Galina Golovchak is an oil painter from Russia mainly focusing
on the natural world, sea, and forests. She is currently an
artist at AG Gallery based in Moscow. She has an interest in
the marine theme since childhood. Galina loves the green
untouched massifs, the deep sea and has portrayed nature
in its glory in her art. The current trends she follows are
realism, landscapes, and seascape painting. Trying to
distract herself from the cold climate of her hometown,
she devotes her free time to painting seascapes.
Concentrating on the texture of the sea – the foam
streaks and the powerful waves, the artist’s water fills
the entire space of the canvas, absorbing dry land
and leaving no space for a human. Galina wants
to portray the preservation of nature in its
original form in her art with all its brightness,
saturation, and clarity without any human
intervention. Galina says, “Art is a way
to express yourself and
show the public the
topics that you care
about, what you love,
what you value, what
scares you, and so on...
Art is a dialogue with
the viewer; art is the
world.”
31

HENA SHAKEEL
United Arab Emirates
Hena Shakeel is a UAE based artist who has experience in
the field of interior design. The world of art and design is
something she has been intrigued about since high school.
She has a couple of years of experience in social media, graphic design,
arts, and events. Right after graduating from university,
Hena started her own business venture called
Henashakeel Interiors. Her Instagram page @
henashakeel.interiors serves as a portfolio
and showcases her designs in addition to the
skills and understanding she has acquired in
university while studying interior design. The
major projects she has worked on include
apartments, villas, retail stores, kiosk stands,
private offices, exhibition stands, museums,
villa transformation, and bridal boutiques
which have been designed using software
like 3D Max, SketchUp, and AutoCAD.
Her recent exhibition includes
Celebrating 50 Glorious years
of the UAE – National day art
exhibition and competition 2021
by ARTOZE in Marsa, Ajman.
32

IMAN TALIB ALRASHDI
United Arab Emirates
Iman Alrashdi is an Emirati artist who holds a degree in Media and Public
Relations from Ajman University. With over 13 years of experience, she
is a self-taught artist who has neither studied art academically nor has
she attended any artistic course but relied completely on her experiences
and practiced hard to better her skills. Her works mainly focus on realism
art, portraits, and horses. Iman has participated in exhibitions in different
countries such as the UAE, Spain, and Morocco. Some of the exhibitions
she has been a part of in the UAE include Youth Novation – Ajman in 2010,
Creations Feather Artist – Ajman in 2010, Art Nouvean Splendour – Ajman
in 2011 and Juman 2 – Ajman in 2013. Her international exhibitions include
Festival Artistic Creativity - the International University of Casablanca
Morocco in 2009, Youth United Arab Emirates - Altea,
Spain in 2010, Creations Eyes Arab Emirates - Valencia,
Spain in 2010, Middle East - Alicane, Spain in 2010,
Modern Art - Alcoy, Spain in 2010 and Creators of the
Ajman University - Marbia, Spain in 2010. Iman has
been awarded 3rd place in the Ajman Educational
Zone in 2002, 1st place in the field of painting on
UAE University in 2010, 2nd place for the Sharjah
University in 2012 and 1st place in art competition
of national day in 2012. She has also created
murals like Logo of the year of Sheikh Zayed in
Zayed park in Umm al Quwain, Sheikh Rashid
Al-Nuaimi Mural in Ajman and in the parking
basement of Warga Mall, Dubai.
33

JOSHUA MIELS
Australia
Australian-based contemporary artist Joshua Miels is a palette knife
oil painter who captures the emotions of human beings through
a series of colorful, multi-layered, large-scale portraits. Spending
countless hours adding layer upon layer of paint, Joshua produces
powerful paintings that resonate with viewers long after their gaze has
left the canvas. Painted mainly using oil, each and every piece of art takes
its own journey through a process of experimentation. Joshua’s driving
force is his passion to create. Through his work, he is looking to remove
the stigma of mental health in males. Due to a family history of
mental health and addiction, art for him is a way of dealing
and understanding. At first glance, Joshua’s artworks are
dynamic and powerful. However, once we observe the
paint, the cracks in its surface, the way it breaks away
from the contour of the face into a multitude of lines
and strokes, our perception of them changes. We start
to understand that the face is often a façade, masking
what we all experience as humans – times of fragility,
vulnerability, and powerlessness. His artworks address the
disconnect between the exterior personality people
present and their interior worlds. “I try to translate
what people feel into my pieces and that is one of
the reasons I like to keep the face expressions
out of it,” he says. “Just because someone
is happy and smiling doesn’t mean
everything is ok. His artworks challenge
the viewer and prompt them to draw
upon their own emotive experiences.
34

KRISTEL BECHARA
United Arab Emirates
An award-winning contemporary artist who has quickly established
herself as the rising star of the middle eastern art world, Kristel Bechara is
recognized mainly for her dynamic patterns and expressive colors which
are set against a monochromatic background, creating imagery that is vivid and
thought provoking. Her artwork ‘Atlas’ has been recreated with a dash of colours and
patterns highlighting the encumbering burden on his back. Atlas, one of the most
recognizable Titans from Greek mythology, is seen in this oeuvre carrying
the weight of the heavens on his mighty shoulders as a punishment
for his rebellion against the Olympians. We might find ourselves
reflected in this rendition of a cowering Titan, as we too carry a
burden on our backs. This piece might make us wonder: what
burden do we have on our shoulders? Besides the traditional
artwork on canvas, she ventured on to create and sell limited
edition prints of her digital artworks to incredible demand.
With her digital art, she has also found recognition for
being a pioneer of NFT art in the Middle East, having
been the first middle eastern female artist in the
region to adopt and capitalize from this new
technology. Born in Lebanon and based in
Dubai, Kristel’s work has been displayed
all over the world like galleries in Tokyo,
Milano, Brussels, London and France. She
has received high acclaim in UAE notably
winning the UAE Resident Artist Award at
the 2018 World Art Dubai.
35

LAURA TOMLINSON
United Arab Emirates
Laura started LB Tomlinson Art just over 1 year ago after
dedicating more time to creativity, and returning to
painting, during the covid lockdown. Art has always run
strong through Laura’s blood with her father also an artist, and
her mother a ceramicist, in the UK. Originally from the United
Kingdom, Laura left a career in fashion buying behind to move
to Dubai with her family last year, and is looking forward to her
family and business growing successful and strong with
the exciting opportunity offered by the UAE. Laura
specialises in watercolour animal illustrations with
a feminine and floral influence. Muted colours
and soft lines make for a distinctive style. LB
Tomlinson illustrations have been a very popular
choice for home and nursery decor, selling
originals through social media Instagram and
completing commissions on demand. This
year sees exciting collaborations underway
to illustrate for multiple lifestyle brands in
Dubai - both in store, and for e-commerce.
36

MAI MAJDY
United Arab Emirates
Mai Majdy is an Egyptian artist based in the UAE. She earned her bachelor’s
degree from Applied Arts Cairo and has over 10 years of experience in
the arts and the creative sector. She is a professional artist with live
interactive art performances. Her artwork mostly focuses on the Middle Eastern
culture, depicting portraiture as her preferred subject matter of choice, visualizing
the personality, and capturing the beauty of the Arabian features.
Her primary medium is oil paints. Mai was influenced by the
great impressionist Vincent van Gogh. She has taken what
van Gogh created and modified the style to meet her
own ideas. She utilizes the impasto technique to draw
the quick strokes of the impressionists into long
curvy lines creating paintings vivid with color and
exaggeration. Mai believes that there is no better
mirror of society than the faces of its people. Most
of her artwork themes are inspired by stories and
tales that reflect scenes of magical beauty and
unique traditions and culture around her. She
chooses Emirati women as the main theme for
her paintings. Each scene leaves an impression
of the diversity and vitality of the world of
women in Emirati society, that special hidden
world full of femininity, cheerful colors, and
magical beauty that inspires senses and
souls. Her works have been showcased in
several exhibitions and owned by private
and public collections worldwide.
37

MAGED MAKRAM
SHEROUBI BECHET
United Arab Emirates
Maged Makram Sheroubi is an Egyptian artist based in the
UAE who works as a senior architect and interior designer.
Maged’s career spans 25 years and the preferred materials for
his artworks are oil, acrylic, silk and gouache. In his artworks, Maged
portrays the elements of the human soul, attributed to his impressive
educational background in Psychology and Arts combined. Art for
him is a sublime message. He searches within the human soul, inside
the subconscious and the pent-up desires within humans.
He lives this struggle and searches for lost love and
childhood dreams. As an interior designer working with an
international consulting company, Maged has managed
projects for Hilton Hotel & Projects, Ras al Khaimah, and
Al Forsan/Marriot Hotel Project, Abu Dhabi. Apart from
the UAE, he has worked with the Conrad and Meridian
Hotels in Cairo, Egypt. While focusing on his career, he
has also participated in local as well as international art
competitions namely International Exhibitions in UK (VAA)
(Year -2021), in Al Jaleela Cultural Center for children
exhibition with Dubai international Art Center
(Year 2022) Celebrating 50 glorious years of
the UAE art exhibition and competition 2021
by ARTOZE and in Dubai international Art
Center exhibition (Year 2022) among others.
38
BACK TO THE COCOON AND THE INITIAL ROOTS
I was returned to the cocoon, to my primal roots, sailing inside the ship of our dreams, through lost
times, roads, and our lost dreams, looking for you in all the roads and in the mountains, in the threads
of the glowing sun, but I did not find you, as I wished, I am still sailing, but without paddle.

INTERNAL CONFLICT AND DESIRES OF
THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND.
SAILING IN THE LOST DREAMS. DANCING IN THE LOST TIMES. HYSTERIA & REACTION FORMATION
REACTION FORMATION PLAYING THE STRINGS OF LIFE. SCHIZOPHRENIA FANTASY
39

MARINA ZOTOVA
Russia
Marina Zotova is a Russian artist who specializes in Oil painting.
She majorly focuses on landscapes and still life. As a painter,
she loves to create because it helps her connect with who she
is, and it helps her learn more about herself and what she is truly
capable of. Marina’s artworks speak of love for nature. She loves
all things natural; thunderstorms, clouds, sun, and snow. For her,
contemplation of nature is meditation. Through
the artworks she creates, she wants to immerse
the viewer in the places that she paints. She
considers the achievement as a big honor
and a great motivation to develop further as
an artist. She started posting her artworks
on the Instagram page @marina_z19 and
her paintings started selling all
over the world. Slowly she entered
galleries and began to participate
in exhibitions and competitions
and received several awards. Her
artwork “Gold Autumn” won
the 1st prize diploma in the
international competition
“Deli’s Mustache” and she is
invited to a live competition
in Spain in May 2022.
40

MARISSA OOSTERLEE
Spain
Artist Marissa Oosterlee is recognized for her
hyperrealistic figurative pieces that captivate the viewer
with not only their technical detail but also the narratives
that she brings to life. Her works always contain a deeper
personal or social message, as well as her great love for nature.
Marissa now enjoys worldwide attention with her hyperrealistic
paintings. She has undisputedly established her name with
her photorealistic paintings. She creates her own reality in
her artwork, hyperrealistically and convincingly conveyed on
canvas. In addition to various painting techniques, she also uses
airbrush and her work often consists of acrylic
and oil paint. Marissa means From the Sea
- Mermaid. It’s the perfect fit as her love
for the ocean and nature is as big as her
passion for art. She is actively involved
in cleaning up nature, creating
awareness of the importance of clean
oceans, and raising funds with annual
auctions for a good cause to help
animals in need. She now resides
in Spain together with her partner
and two dogs, after living in Belgium
and The Netherlands for many years.
Together they run the art business and
travel the world.
41

NADA AL BARAZI
United Arab Emirates
Nada Al Barazi is a self-taught artist based in the UAE. Though she
has always been enchanted by art since her childhood, she only
started focusing on art in 2017. Inspired by nature, she uses oil
and acrylic paint for her creations. She firmly believes in sharing joy,
happiness, and positivity with others especially those who are in need.
For this, she supports several exhibitions for children with special needs
and donates artwork to their centers to encourage artistic
fundamentals in young children. Nada had a solo
exhibition in 2018. She has been on TV channels and
various newspapers to raise the awareness of art in
the UAE. The exhibitions that she has been a part
of include World Art Dubai, Carousel Du Louvre
at the Louvre Museum in Paris, Kunooz Art
Exhibition in London, Flyer Art Gallery as well
as Atelier Montez in Rome, and Townly Gallery
in New York. Furthermore, she is a member of
several galleries in Dubai and collaborates with
other local and international galleries.
Furthermore, Nada became a member
of the Dubai Business Women
Council in collaboration with the
Dubai Chamber in September.
Her exhibitions in 2022 include
New York Art Expo in April,
International Arts Forum-
Spain in May, and Korea Art
Festival in September.
42

43

NADIA ADAMENKO
United Arab Emirates
Nadia Adamenko is an artist born and raised in Russia who moved
to the UAE in 2013. Her passion for art has been ingrained since
a young age such that she joined an art school. But contrary to
what most people expected, as soon as she finished school, she dropped
her paints, brushes and stopped focusing on art. It was after 21 years, last
year, that she got back to painting. It was out of the blue, last Ramadan,
that a thought popped into her mind to give art a try again. She bought
all the materials required and started painting and felt the joy of art
again. At that moment she realized what she had missed in those 21 years.
Nadia searches for inspirations to come up with something
different and unique wherever she is. Not staying fixed
to one particular genre, she tries different styles
and techniques. Her favorite medium to work
on is acrylic paint and texture paste. The recent
exhibitions that she has been a part of include
the National Day Exhibition and Competition
2021 by ARTOZE, Celebrate UAE National Day
2021 at Emirates Palace, and an exhibition at
Andaz Hotel in 2021. She hopes that her passion
and desire for discovering new things will
help her to open new horizons and
let her create new and interesting
artworks.
44

“I saw the angel in the
marble and carved
until I set him free.”
Michelangelo
45

NICK SIDER
United States of America
Internationally known artist, Nick Sider, is a self-taught acrylic
painter based out of New York City. Since the age of 5, Nick knew
he wanted to be a painter. While experimenting with a multitude of
subject matter, Nick has always maintained a hyperrealistic
style, attempting to create paintings that extend
beyond what a photograph could ever capture.
The pains that Nick takes to bring out the
details of his fierce subjects make his paintings
comparable to photographs or go beyond the
details that photographs provide. Some of them
are so realistic that they appear to leap out of
their canvases. His incredibly detailed wild animal
creations capture both their stunning beauty and
wild ferociousness. “My favorite moment while
painting is when a subject on my canvas begins
to come alive,” he says. His main goal for
his paintings is to use detail and color
to create the illusion of life spawning
from the canvas. More recently, Nick
Sider has been working on a series of
large-scale lion and tiger paintings as an
ode to his childhood and his obsession
with drawing big cats. Nick Sider is
currently showing with Galerie
Bartoux in New York City and
will have his first Museum Show
in 2022 at Zillman Art Museum
46

NOEMI SAFIR
Uruguay
Noemi Safir is an artist born in Uruguay who moved to Israel
with her parents when she was two years old. Noemi decided
to pursue her ambition of becoming a painter at the age of 40.
Women figures in her large-scale paintings are a reflection of herself,
depicting episodes from her life that brought her to where she is now,
conveying power and desire and a wide variety of emotions.
They represent her effort to accept her freedom as a woman and
an artist without apologies or reservations. Noemi’s painting style is
characterized by picture fragmentation and a vibrant
color palette. As if to declare, “Yes, I am attractive
and youthful, alive and full of passion, driven
by emotions and desire to be myself in all my
glory,” her pictures are captivating and strong.
Noemi has participated in a number of
important exhibitions worldwide including
New York, Miami, San Francisco, Singapore,
Hong Kong, Korea, Germany, Paris, Holland,
Australia, Monaco and Israel. She also
participated in charity auctions and
fundraising events as Christie’s
in aid of ADETEC-COEUR, Israeli
fund raising in aid of Aids, Art sale-
Donation for Israeli hospital etc.
47

NORRIS YIM
Hong Kong
Norris Yim is a self-taught painter based in Hong Kong who
graduated from Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of
Design (Environmental & Interior) in 2014. Searching for an
alternative way to express himself, he created abstract
paintings as a way to cure his spirit. Using multiple
color thicknesses to create an abstract painting
(often a portrait), the abstract pigments
represent his dark side and mood, which
forms the foundation of the art. Painting for
him, is purely a means of self-presentation,
a process of transforming his observation
of others and internalizing it as creative
inspiration. Seeking his spiritual satisfaction
with poetry, self-expression is often tinged
with loneliness. Norris believes that portraits
are colored with illusory, dark, and lonely
self-expression. “Observation, memory,
imagination, are the principal
aspects of my work. In the end,
I’m just fulfilling my ambition
through colors to create
more inspirations,”
says Norris.
48

PETER TERRIN
Belgium
Peter Terrin is an artist from Belgium who has always been drawn to art.
There were no defining or pivotal moments that determined the course
of his life. His need to paint has always been as vital as breathing and
eating; providing the necessary fuel for the mind and soul. His passion
for people was reinforced through years of travel after graduating from
Textile Design School in Belgium. He blends several artistic styles and
incorporates different ideas to produce something more than just a portrait.
Mexico’s amazing blend of things drives him insane; the way they live, their
customs, their cuisine, their family values, their music, and
the spectacular brilliant colors with which they paint their
homes. If he had to sum up this subject in a single line,
he’d answer, “Mexico gave me colors.” Peter uses his unique
style to capture emotion, mood and feeling through pallet
knives and acrylic paint on large-scale canvas. To keep
things exciting for himself, he changes his style every 2
to 3 years. He supposes his style can be classified as
a modern form of expressionism. This distinctive
painting style gives his work a lively expression.
His past exhibitions include Opening Terrin
Art Gallery, Tulum Mexico in 2020, Solo
Show Porsche, Cancun Mexico in 2019, Imar
Art Gallery, Mykonos Greece in 2019, Jorge
Mendez Art Gallery, Palm Springs USA in 2019
among many others.
49

PHILIPP WEBER
Germany
Philipp Weber is an artist who specializes in hyper-realistic
paintings of women. Born in 1974 in Rostock, Germany, he lives
and works in Kassel and Berlin. He takes inspiration from books,
movies, other fellow artists, and creative people, as well as their life
stories, their dreams, and aspirations. Using super-realistic painting
techniques, Philipp presents beautiful young women in
a variety of contexts. The physical expressiveness of
the painted - their posture and facial expressions - is
expanded by motifs from art history and popular
culture, the symbolism of Christianity, but also by
elementary carriers of meaning such as water as
a symbol of life par excellence. One can’t tell his
paintings apart from a photograph at first glance.
However, even though the artist’s works look like
they’re taken straight from a fashion magazine, the
portraits are actually full of tiny details and imperfections
that make them much more realistic and human.
Philipp creates only 1-2 paintings per year as his
technique is very delicate and fine, so every
painting takes a lot of time to create. He has
been selected and supported as one of the best
masters in this genre by the IBEX collection
since 2017.
50

POLUYANSKAYA ELIZAVETA
Russia
Poluyanskaya Elizaveta is a Russian artist who
specializes in photorealistic art. Her art is
inspired by the people and faces around
her and the ones she comes across while surfing
through social media or flipping through
magazines. Portraits is what she focuses on
mainly. She draws portraits with sheer perfection,
taking the time out to focus on every tiny detail
of her artwork. Poluyanskaya’s message to fellow
artists is, “Anything is possible if you work hard.”
The persistence to achieve her goals is something
she takes pride in. She believes that art enlightens
everyone around and helps to create a magnificent
world of imagination and color. Art helps in
spiritual connection and makes a person think
out of the box.
51

RAFA TOM
United Arab Emirates
Rafa Tom is a fine art professional and art educator based in the UAE. Born
and raised in Tripoli, Lebanon, she got attracted to painting and art at an
early age and later refined her skills by joining the highly regarded Fine Art
College at the Lebanese University. While at university, she embarked on studying
many art techniques like modern art, classic art, abstract paintings, landscapes,
compositions, portraits, still live, etc. Her preferred materials and mediums to work
include oil, acrylics, pastels, watercolors, charcoal, mixed media textures,
and ink. Rafa lived in Los Angeles and Canada for many years before
she relocated to Saudi Arabia where she worked as a director
of the Fine Art program at international schools in Riyadh.
While living there, her passion for horses deepened and her
equestrian work increased. She did solo art exhibitions and
sold most of her works to high-level officials. She moved
to Dubai in 2006 and since then has worked as a freelance
artist producing artworks and participating in different
art exhibitions in and outside the UAE. She was awarded
Art Ambassador for the year 2021 representing Lebanon/
Canada by Art Connoisseurs from Rome Italy, the Dubai
Golden Visa from Dubai Cultural and Arts Authorities in 2021,
the Art Olympic Medal and prize 2021 from Rome Italy and
the Leonardo Da Vinci Prize and Award 2022 Borghese Palace
from Florence Italy. Her recent exhibitions include Gibran
Khalil Gibran Art Exhibition at House Of Wisdom Sharjah
2021, ADIHEX 2021 Abu Dhabi, Budapest Art Exhibition
at Pinter Gallery, Venice Art exhibition at Palazo Albrizi
Capello, Rome Art fair, Luxembourg Art fair, QIAF Qatar
International Art Fair 2021 among many others.
52

“Every child is an
artist. The problem
is how to remain an
artist once he
grows up.”
Pablo Picasso
53

RAFAEL A. FONSECA
Colombia
Rafael Antonio Fonseca Acevedo was born in Bogotá, Colombia on
May 17 in 1988. He is a truly exceptional hyperrealist artist. At an
early age, he showed an interest in drawing, where he explored
various techniques and materials, especially graphite. In his last years
of Architecture, he decided to return to his passion for drawing and art,
thus discovering a revolutionary painting tool, the art of the airbrush. He
trained as a self-taught artist of airbrush painting, developing his artistic
proposals and its deterioration through human history, with a touch
of magical realism and critical perspective. Rafael currently focuses
on setting
childhood as the main theme of his work. In
2015 he received International recognition, when
his
work was selected in the German
magazine Step by Step (2015) Spanish
version, also being on the cover
(2018) for the same magazine with
his work El Colombiano for the
English version in the USA and
an article in the German version.
GRAU Prize for the Arts 2018
Homage to Women. August 14 2018,
Honorable Mention Painting Mode of
the 2018 Grand Prize for the Arts with
the Work Yearnings. Rafa currently
sells and exhibits his works of art in
Singapore, Colombia, México and the
United States.
54

RAISA MARIAM
RAJAN
United Arab Emirates
Raisa Mariam Rajan is an Indian artist based in the UAE who started her journey as an artist by drawing portraits, glass paintings,
sketches, and acrylic paintings on canvas. It later became a space to experiment with different medium and textures on various
surfaces. Being an Architect, she look forward to implement her artworks to enhance the space designed for clients. For Raisa,
art is a powerful medium to express herself. Through her works, she focuses on making strong statements on society, life, and the
events that happen around her. Raisa is also an art teacher and has been acclaimed for her role in shaping not only the artistic
talents in her students but also their lives in a positive way. Raisa has many national and international art exhibitions to her credit
which include World Art Dubai and Qatar International Art Festival. She has been to the Montenegro Art Residency Program and
is preparing for an art residency program in Europe. Her directorial venture named “The Journey of Jawhara”, an artistic journey
through the history of UAE, which she painted in collaboration with artist friend, Jasmine Mohammad Rizwi has been unveiled
in DIFC, Dubai as part of the National Day celebrations. She also successfully participated in the Live Art organized in the Indian
Pavilion of Expo 2020. Raisa continues her artistic journey with zest and believes that it is in the art that the future of the world lies.
55

RAOOF HAGHIGHI
Iran
Born in 1976 in Shiraz, a town to the southwest of Iran, Raoof
Haghighi grew up in a family of artists. He is a self-taught versatile
artist who has participated in over 70 groups and 40 solo shows
in the United States, France, Iran, Spain, the Czech Republic, and the
United Kingdom. His paintings are mostly oil on canvas and built upon
his strong cultural traditions as well as his interest in the changing
world of today. His work often combines contemporary ideas with
traditional techniques. In his paintings, he has quite often questioned
the attitudes, fears, conflicts, incompatibilities, and unwritten rules
which have formed our environment and our
behavior within it. Raoof’s paintings are in
varied personal collections worldwide notably
in Spain, China, Denmark, Thailand, France,
the United Kingdom, and the USA. In 2017,
he was crowned the winner of the Gold
Memorial Bowl award for best miniature work
appointive by the Royal Society of Miniature
Painters, winner of The Mundy Sovereign
Portrait Award 2019, and also the winner of
two awards for best pure colored pencil
and nice art award for the best different
subject at Annual UK colored Pencil
Society Open International Exhibition.
56

SACHA JAFRI
United Arab Emirates
Sacha Jafri is a contemporary British artist, humanitarian, philanthropist, educator, and world record holder based in the UAE. His painting
‘Journey of Humanity’, which sold for $62M, became the second most expensive painting ever sold by a living artist with profits being donated
to Sacha’s chosen charity beneficiaries including UNICEF, UNESCO, and the Global Gift Foundation. Sacha also holds the world record for the
most amount of open edition NFTs sold in under a minute, with a staggering $2M sold in under 45 seconds. His latest projects include the first official
artwork on the moon entitled ‘We Rise Together – with the Light of the Moon.’ He will contribute a certain percentage of the funds raised through
this project to charities for humanitarian causes, focusing on the 4 major issues we have on hand i.e Education, Equality, Sustainability, and Health.
Another project of Sacha is the first-ever live creation on the Burj Al Arab helipad celebrating UNESCO’s 50th anniversary of the World Heritage
Sites. His work has been shown in the most prominent Art Institutions of the World exhibiting alongside Picasso, Warhol, Hockney, Matisse, Miro,
Koons, Banksy, Freud, Basquiat, Pollock etc, with him recently being elevated into the ArtWorld’s Elite as the youngest artist in history to be offered
a museum-based 20 Year retrospective world tour, due to visit 35 cities in 28 countries from 2022-2024.
57

DR. SANA SAJAN
United Arab Emirates
Dr. Sana Bedar (Sana Sajan) is an Indian origin modern
contemporary and Islamic calligraphy artist based in the
UAE. Having a vast knowledge of painting, materials, and
styles, her collection of artworks is a blend of beautiful shades and
she primarily uses acrylic and mixed media for her art. It is not
every day that you come across a doctor-turned philanthropist and
then an artist who uses her creativity for a cause dear to her heart.
Realizing that her art could be used to support Thalassemia patients
as well as spread awareness about it, Dr. Sana decided to start an
annual art exhibition - ALIF Art Festival. Alif is a motivational event
for the patients who participate enthusiastically, for the artists who
come to a brilliant platform to share their art, and the attendees who
share the magic of art for a cause. In addition, Sana is also an avid
Urdu Literature reader, who is in the process of launching her own
book which is an anthology that compiles the works of the maestros
of Urdu poetry. Her maverick collections have been auctioned in
58

Dubai at various events and even privately.
● Her awards and accolades include Brand
Ambassador for Global Goals World Cup
for women
● Panel member for Women Empowerment –
Skyline University College
● President of the EVFI Ladies Wing
● Board member of NF
● Featured on GenNext Volume 2
● Super 100 women’s achievers in MENA
● Panel member for IBPC
● Brand Ambassador for Dubai Women’s Run 2018
● Award for Best CSR Program by National treasure
award – 2018
● Brand Ambassador for Global Goals World cup 2.
● Dr. Sana Sajan is a TED Speaker as well.
59

60

61

SAVITA MALIK
United Arab Emirates
SPACE
Savita Malik is an Indian self-taught artist who is based in the UAE. She studied painting and earned a professional diploma in 3D graphics
from MAYA. Color has intrigued her since childhood and has always provided her with contentment and happiness. Though her parents
weren’t very supportive of her art she always kept her brushes and paints to express herself on canvas. Savita began painting since her
early childhood days and has continued to explore herself ever since through colors, emotions, and experiences. Acrylic, watercolors, charcoal,
coffee are the few mediums that she works on to express herself on canvas. Although she uses vibrant colors, she mostly does impression and
fine art. Being an ardent follower of Art of Living, she did a couple of courses in it and and organized some in Delhi, Kenya and Nigeria. Yoga and
meditation gives her new thoughts, ideas and a peaceful mind to work on. For her, spirituality is the way of life. Savita’s exhibitions include Art
Mall Gallery Delhi Stree in 2008 & 2009, Art Mall On Spot in 2011, Galleries Indraprastha in 2011, Yaya Centre Nairobi Kenya in 2015 and Art of
Living Bangalore - Colour of Spirituality in 2016.
62

ETERNAL LOVE
PURITY
ETERNAL LOVE
KNOWN TO UNKNOWN
63

SERGEY
PISKUNOV
Ukraine
Sergey Piskunov is a Ukrainian painter passionately committed to exploring the core principles of hyperrealism to redefine the genre with
his breathtaking works. The artist creates a stunning anthology of works that he sees as a “burst of emotion”, forcing him to turn his soul
inside out and leave it on the canvas. Having a true passion for drawing since childhood, he was always scribbling over everything he found
in front of him be it notebooks or school desks. Many of Sergey’s works depict an intimate connection to women. By recording their stories and
experiences visually in his work, he documents the glory, strength, and fragility of women and gives them significance, acknowledging
the beauty, melancholy, and history. Today, his works testify his talent not only in Ukraine but also in Germany, Great Britain, the
USA, Switzerland, and many other countries. With strong determination, Sergey continuously pushes himself on his path and
embodies new ideas into magnificent paintings.
64

SOPHIE GREEN
United Kingdom
Sophie Green is a British artist residing currently in England
following the trends of conservation and wildlife art. She is an
artist who specializes in Photorealism. Nature is something close
to her heart as she believes that nature’s brilliant glories enchant
individuals and wake up a special bond that has been established way
back
by the creator. Sophie’s art aims to raise awareness
and money for important conservational causes
and endangered species, a very innovative and
thoughtful way to save lives of endangered
species and spread awareness. Sophie donates
10% of all her profits and the profits of her
company, Art Basket, to conservation and
wildlife charities. She is a proud member
of the Artists for Conservation group and
regularly donates artwork and money to help
conservational efforts. She was shortlisted for
several awards and won the People’s Choice
award in 2020. Her message to the fellow
artisans is, “Keep painting, drawing, and
sculpting. Even if nobody is buying
your art, remain true to your
mission and your passion and
remind yourself why you are
doing it every day. Once you
are in alignment in this way,
everything else will flow.”
65

SOUMYA SHREE
United Arab Emirates
Soumya Shree is an Indian artist based in the UAE who specializes
in ancient Indian Rural Art forms. Her interest in art found its
way at a very early age which led her to pursue a diploma in the
same. She developed keen interest in Indian Traditional Art forms
depicting the essence of Indian culture & heritage and her specialization
encompass ancient Indian rural art forms. She believes that art has the
capacity to move people and create a lasting impact on individuals, and
nothing could do it better than a simple Folk Art. To the
layman, the unique and the most unusual Warli tribal
art forms of India, may not be more than just an
eye-catching stick figures painted in white on red
ochre background, but a closer look will tell you
that there’s more to Warli than what meets the eye.
The painting is not just an art but it’s an emblematic
expression of day-to-day experiences and beliefs.
Although Soumya works with different medium
and art styles, her work breath’s life into
Indian folk art, culture & heritage. She has
participated in over 15 group exhibitions.
She has been a part of art and craft exhibits
at various platforms, she was one among the
Top 9 selected artists in the celebration and
commemoration of 75 years of progressive
Indian Consulate General of India Dubai.
Her recent exhibitions include Qatar
International Art Festival, some online
exhibitions and World Art Dubai.
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67

SUJITH PUTHRAN
India
Sujith Puthran is an artist based in India who specializes in a
variety of art forms such as graphite, charcoal, pastel, colored
pencils, watercolor, acrylic, and oil. He is a sensitive and
introspective artist with a penchant for the unusual and thoughtprovoking
image. Within the apparent calm and stillness of his
repertoire lie hidden complex psychological elements of perfection,
different facial expressions, and variety of feelings. Such is the depth of
his understanding, both of sketching as well as painting. Sujith carves
out his private artistic temperament within his figurative art. Being
amazed by portraits made from charcoal he realized that the portraits
made from rich dark shades looked better than pencil portraits which
led him to learn to make portraits from charcoal. Through constant
practice, he explores the world of art and the challenges he faces while
creating it. With every piece of art he creates, his style changes and
grows. Each art piece that he creates has a meaning of its own. Each
piece bears the imprimatur of its maker, yet
all
art springs from the same shared creative
impetus.
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“When you go out to paint, try
to forget what objects you have
before you, a tree, a house,
a field, or whatever. Merely
think, here is a little square of
blue, here an oblong of pink,
here a streak of yellow.”
Claude Monet
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SUSMITHA DHRUVA
CHITRADURGA
United Arab Emirates
Susmitha Dhruva is an Indian artist based in the UAE who loves to
explore new techniques in both traditional and abstract paintings.
Painting for her is an instant stress buster. She holds a fashion
designing degree from Mysore University and was actively involved as
an eco coordinator in one of the Singapore schools where she taught
students to create artwork using recycled materials. It was only in
2018 that she took up painting seriously when she started with an oil
painting and since then she has never stopped. The
artwork medium that she mainly focuses on
is alcohol ink. Susmitha has participated in
several art exhibitions across the UAE which
includes Gallery Arabesque, Consulate
General of India, Dubai, and many other
hotels in the UAE. She has also participated
in the art workshops with the students
of determination and people of different
walks of life. Her achievements include
Emergingscene art prize 2021, Indradhanush
at Consulate General of Dubai 2021, women in
art exhibition 2020 which was displayed at the
DIFC ”The cube”, and one of the artwork
was awarded a prize from Indian High
Commission, Abu Dhabi.
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TANNAZ
KHALEGHIAN
United Arab Emirates
Tannaz Khaleghian is an Iranian artist who is based in the UAE since 2001. She began her professional art career from the age of 8, being mentored
by some of the best internationally renowned artists like Abbas Katouzian & Alireza Sadaghdar from Iran. She has mastered the ability to combine
multiple painting styles like realism, contemporary & abstract to convey her feelings through her paintings, which acknowledges the hardship
that many of us can relate to at the time, which will instantly create an emotional connection with the viewers. Tannaz has won multiple certificates
and awards from solo & group exhibitions in Iran, Turkey, Italy, UAE & Switzerland. She has also participated in many art exhibitions and solo art
galleries such as Motb, Index, Global Village, 50th National Day art competition by ARTOZE, Dubai Art Week, and many other solo art shows in
the UAE and international art competitions like the Istanbul art fair, Helvet Switzerland, art festival Iran and art fes Venice, Italy.
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VARSHA SUREKA
United Arab Emirates
Varsha Sureka is a proactively creative artist, an Indian
National, contributing to art community in Dubai
for 13+ years, with a Masters degree in Human
Resource, a mom , a music lover, and highly energetic.
Her love for art emerged right from a very tender age
and it’s been her eternal love since then. Varsha
brings with her a wide range of art forms which
includes Abstract, Resin, Landscape, Mixed
Media, Clay work and so on. With her artforms,
she believes in giving words to the unsaid
enriching them with life. Her artworks have
been exhibited in Major Art Galleries, Hotels,
Malls, locally & internationally. She has been
invited as a judge and mentor for many
renowned events and competitions.
She loves working with the NGOs
for the especially abled kids to lift
them up and she stands firm for
Equality. The Cultural diversity
of UAE has always been a strong
area of interest for her and her
paintings depicts the same. She
has been the most sought-after
artist for “Equality Paintings”
in Dubai.
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YOUNG-SUNG KIM
South Korea
Young-sung Kim is a hyperrealist from South Korea. Though he
likes experimenting with various forms of art, his main focus is
on hyperrealism. His artworks aim to focus more on the genre
of hyperrealism because he believes that the people in our society
think of animals and nature as methods of ornament, experiment, and
edibility. However, he pours in all his emotions while drawing and
creating realistic pieces through which he wishes to bring in a change
in attitude in the society. Young-sung Kim has developed his artistic
career through lots of hard work, research, and studying different types
of arts. His message to all the artists is, “Create things that don’t
exist in the world. Use your imagination and leave the world
bewildered with your artwork.”
Nature,
city life, and social media
are the
main inspirations
while
creating a piece.
He
shows us
that even
the
simplistic
things in our
surroundings can
be taken and utilized
to put together a
masterpiece.
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