Chinese artist has a brush with the UAE’s rich legacy
LEE WINS PLAUDITS FOR PORTRAITS OF UAE LEADERS AND BEDOUIN SCENES
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Finding inspiration in what he calls the mystique behind Bedouin tradition in the UAE, a Chinese artist based in Abu Dhabi puts his passion for the Emirates into his paintings.
A UAE resident of 14 years, Jack Lee’s paintings have fetched him plaudits and recognition from Emiratis, with the artist finding himself busy meeting requests from both government agencies and private citizens for his portraits of UAE leaders and landscapes of Bedouin scenes.
“When I came to the UAE, the culture was so new to me
and very different from my own,” he said. “I was intrigued and wanted to learn as much as I could about the local culture, I was very interested in everything like the food, the clothes, the lifestyle and all the traditions. “As an artist, I try to add my own perspective to my paintings, and I do this by adding colours to make the painting stand out,” he added.
“All of my paintings represent different aspects of the Bedouin culture and the UAE — the desert, the camels, the traditional clothing and historic buildings like the Qasr Al Hosn Fort. All of these paintings tell the story of the UAE through the form of art.”
‘Great man and leader’
Lee said his portrait paintings of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan are among his favourite works.
“I didn’t know a lot about Shaikh Zayed when I moved to the UAE, but over time I learnt about him which made me realise what a great man and leader he was.
“The way he developed the country from the desert was an amazing achievement and so I really wanted to express my appreciation for him through my paintings.
“The portraits are based on real pictures that I convert to paintings. I had to closely study them to understand all the little details to make sure my paintings were a good reflection,” he said.
‘Adding colours’
“Many of the pictures I have in my collection are in black and white from his younger days, and so for these pictures I paint them, adding colours and also put in some other features, like a cup for example.”
Lee said art was an essential and powerful tool for cultural enlightenment. “Art is a strong tool for cultural exchange,” he said. “It allows people to know about different cultures and countries in an interesting and innovative way. ”