Make up the idea of home
Zena Adhami, digital artist and professor at the University of Sharjah, was born and raised in the UAE. The Syrian artist’s work began when she returned from San Francisco after completing her master’s degree in 2012. In the few years that she had been away, the country underwent a change. Adhami was shocked at Dubai’s transformation. “I thought that it was about time for someone to document the UAE artistically — given that it’s constantly changing,” says Adhami. Driven by the past and set in the present, her work uses nostalgia as an emblem.
Adhami says, “My father came here in 1975, and I was born in 1983, so we kind of witnessed the stories together. I remember the parade — students would hold the flags on the streets among other national day celebrations.” She recalls the long drive from Abu Dhabi to Deira. The highway, she says, “was a complete desert, and I recall it was HH Sheikh Zayed’s vision to see that area being greened. I remember passing by that road and the small plants en route; but look at it now! The founding father’s vision can be seen very clearly today.”
To visually record Dubai, Adhami first photographs iconic sights and then recreates the same with a digital spin. These designs are available on her website, Everyday Dubai. Among other artworks, a visual representation of Safa Park (before the construction of the Canal and the park’s downsizing) stands out and records the changes brought about by development.
Adhami’s interest in art can be traced back to her early years. “As a child, I lived by the Corniche in Abu Dhabi, and our house was right in front of the Khaleej (Gulf). I was always drawing and painting the water. That’s when my parents noticed my talent and encouraged me to pursue it.”
In her Jedariya art project which was made in conjunction with Maraya Art Centre, Adhami recreates an iconic Smile, You Are in Sharjah graffiti work at the port. Through modern Arabic calligraphy and bright colours, the mural adds life to the Noor Island entrance. The mural reminds her of days spent close to nature. “My family and I would travel from Abu Dhabi to Sharjah every holiday. As a child, I’d imagine the Buhaira Corniche to be a hill, where my cousins and I would hike together.”
She expresses her joy over how this work brought art to an urban space. “While I worked on the wall art, a lot of people asked me why I chose to recreate an old sight of Sharjah. And I encouraged them to talk about that memory of the ancient city and life by the Port. Let’s create a new memory drawn from the old, with a new font and fresh colours that remind us of the town we love.”
Other than memories, the graphic artist explains how empathy is another motivation that guides her artworks. Adhami recalls a project she undertook for the Wajha Initiative, wherein she redesigned the shopfront of an old barber’s shop in the Heart of Sharjah, in March. “It was an emotional project for me. The process was fascinating, because I went there thinking they just want a logo or they want to change the look — it’s doable. But I slowly realised the mammoth task... In front of the shop there’s a new hotel set to launch,” she says. Keen to help the barber’s business and despite the language barrier, Adhami asked Abdul Haq, the owner, if he wanted a price card of services. The barber declined because he charged every customer differently.
Drawn by the persona of the barber and his home country, India, Adhami created a logo that incorporates a motif of Haq’s face, “The authentic design would ensure he didn’t lose his clientele. For that, I decided to give him a legacy because he’s been in that area for 30 years.” The logo is colourful and incorporates Hindi — it’s a celebration of the man himself. “The new shopfront is so different from my design style — it’s not how I’d design if left to myself — but I genuinely created it for him.”
When asked how the UAE is home to her, Adhami smiles and says, “‘What is the definition of home?’ People say it’s the memories we attach to a place. That goes back to what I’m interested in, places and memories, and that’s what creates home for me. For 12 years of my life I was brought up singing Ishi Bilady (the Emirati national anthem) — every morning, I would sing for this country. So that builds my bond to this soil. As a Syrian, I haven’t been to my own country too many times — perhaps just three times in my entire life. All my friends are here. My life is here in this country. It’s comfortable; it’s beautiful.” letters@khaleejtimes.com