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Paintings of UAE leaders, heritage on show
Azza Al Waer did not spend a day researching in the UAE, nor has she lived here for long. But that did not stop her from producing paintings on the leaders and traditions.
Azza Al Waer did not spend a day researching in the UAE, nor has she lived here for long. But that did not stop her from producing a collection of paintings on the country’s leaders and some of its traditions.
But that did not stop her from producing a collection of paintings on the country’s leaders and some of its traditions.
‘Zayed: Heritage of the UAE’, a collection of about 40 paintings, was unveiled at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi on Monday, where it will remain on display until October 7.
“Yes, they are very dark, but this is my vision. I like using strong contrasts, like bright light and dark,” she told Khaleej Times.
Most of her work are portraits of Shaikh Zayed, alone or surrounded by his sons, often depicted like mythological characters, in purposely distorted proportions to outline their mighty power. There is a rather odd portrait, where the Shaikhs are painted in green.
In another portrait, a group of Arab horse riders have their bodies covered in feathers and looking like they are about to take off like birds. The most ‘alien’ vision, though, is an oversize canvas that the artist claims to be in the colours of the UAE flag, depicting a group of running horses in the foreground and Formula One cars on the background, racing though the desert, with one giant falcon taking over the dark, slightly orange sky.
The centrepiece of the exhibition, though, is a portrait of Shaikh Zayed, his face breaking through the clouds like sunlight, and looking down, over a vast empty sea.“This painting is like Mona Lisa. From whatever angle you look at, the eyes of Shaikh Zayed follow you,” claims Al Waer.
Azza Al Waer, from the Netherlands was in the UAE on a holiday.“I did the paintings from photographs, which Dr Fatima Al Amri sent me,” she explained.
The artist started her series in 2005, soon after Shaikh Zayed passed away, when she used his portrait as a symbol for peace. Gradually, Al Waer began adding elements of Emirati heritage to her oil paintings, especially horses and falcons, as well as other prominent figures from the past and the present.
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