This coffee shop in the city doubles up as an art sanctuary

It’s an alley and we’re walking under the thatched roof with bougainvillaea vines as the backdrop. Outdoors, we’re divided between wanting to sit down on the wicker swing and chair, with the ‘seating’ choices including a rugged piece of furniture carved out of wood, wearing a raw, rustic aroma. I’m smitten by the alley (backside) of Comptoir 102, Beach Road, Jumeriah, Dubai. You may call Comptoir, a place to indulge in a healthy meal, or even a concept store, bringing together elements of fashion, interiors and furniture. I’d like to call it an art sanctuary, for here time slows down, and what you breathe in is the arts, and only the arts, from the platters to the walls, and beyond.

It goes without saying that I was pulled to the place because of the arts and call it sheer luck at the time of our visit, the café was hosting a pop-up exhibition, featuring four artists (few of the works are still there), who were part of the recently concluded Art Dubai 2022, Middle East’s leading international art fair. Join me for a quick tour and bite.

Intrigued by the enigmatic abacus-inspired works on Lokta paper (made from the bark of the bush, Daphne Papyrus), I spent a couple of minutes staring at the composition of lines and dots dotting the walls here. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Catherine Danou’s works are an invitation to head on to an inner journey, to meditation, to the contemplative observation of beauty and simplicity. The monochromatic palette is a contrast to Japanese artists Naomi Katsu’s watercolour works created with Japanese ink, alternating superimpositions and transparencies of colours. Naomi’s art is like stepping into a poetic and spiritual world, aiding the understanding and acceptance of the innate uncertainty of life.