When entering the solo exhibition of Iraqi-Kurdish artist Hayv Kahraman at the Third Line Gallery at Alserkal Avenue, you are faced with a wall painted in washes of lilac.
Jars of torshi — fermented beetroot — line two shelves on the wall. The lilac wash is not paint but the juice of the torshi. Fermented beetroot is a staple part of Middle Eastern cuisine, and jars of varying types of fermented food, such as the ones Kahraman has on display, are not an uncommon sight in home kitchens across the region.
While this installation may feel like an intimate welcome into the space, it would be wrong to assume Kahraman is making a comment on domestic life. It is, in fact, a reference to the chemical makeup of happiness — serotonin to be specific.
Fermented foods are believed to improve mental well-being through the gut by boosting serotonin levels. “Not only do we store trauma in our gut, but we store healing in our gut,” Kahraman tells The National.
“Bacteria is something that we, in our culture here and in the West, deem as dirty, impure. We want to remove these germs, eradicate them from our space, from our bodies. But there are bacteria that produce 97 per cent of serotonin. Serotonin is the hormone that makes us happy.”
Kahraman's fifth solo exhibition at the gallery, entitled Gut Feelings: Part II, is the result of her ongoing scientific research and exploration of how trauma affects the physical body, and how the gut can play a significant role in our healing process.
"When I was a kid, we used to make torshi with my mom and I used to dip our brush and paint with it," she says.
"My mom was very creative... this body of work started when my mom passed away three years ago."
When Kahraman was going through her mother's belongings after her death, she came across one of the last books she read. It covered the study of neurosculpting, the science of rewiring neuro pathways to the brain after trauma.
The book sparked Kahraman's interest in theories of rewiring the brain and healing through the gut. She felt that through the research process, she was "subconsciously and consciously" trying to have a dialogue with her mother who was a naturopath, a practitioner who uses natural remedies to heal the body. She wished she could ask her mother questions such as: "How did they do it in Iraq, Kurdistan? What kind of plants did they pick? How did they heal their bodies? How did they heal their souls?"
Kahraman and her family fled Iraq when she was 10 years old during the Gulf War and sought asylum as refugees in Sweden. Now living in Los Angeles, Kahraman's practice has more generally been an exploration of the refugee experience alongside themes of gender and trauma.
Her figurative style has gained attention over the years for the appearance of a consistent figure through all of her work, including this new collection on show in Dubai. This central figure is dark-haired, fair-skinned, sombre-eyed and set in strong, delicate poses — she is the amalgamation of what Kahraman says she herself has learned and unlearned.
It is a face and style that we recognise, an influence from Arabic miniature illustrations from the 11th century, particularly the manuscripts of the poet Maqamat al Hariri from Basra, Iraq. Yet her gestures, poses and vacant and inviting gaze are strongly reminiscent of the ways figures were painted in the Renaissance period in Italy.
Kahraman, who studied graphic design in Florence, explains that the figure was born as a result of her being programmed or "engulfed in the western aesthetic" of art and what she once believed constituted great art.
“I was completely indoctrinated into that belief and thinking that [western art] is the best thing, and that's what I needed to strive for in order to succeed," she says.
"And that's where she was born, under that place, under a colonial space.”
Kahraman doesn’t reference the Renaissance period in her work as a homage, but instead, it's used as a decoy. It becomes a tool to draw in an audience who understands this specific concept of beauty and harmony in art. And once Kahraman has captured their attention, she breaks that spell, through her subtle use of pictorial elements such as the influence of Arabic and Persian miniatures, Arabic calligraphy and Islamic mosaics that speak to dissonance, division and trauma.
It is, on one hand, a sophisticated subversion and, on the other, a unique visual language that defines Kahraman’s aesthetic.
In Gut Feelings: Part II, audiences see Kahraman's enigmatic female figure in a number of paintings and drawings. Chords, hair-like in some paintings, meat-like in others, come out of open mouths and are intertwined through hair or float. These entanglements connect the figures either to themselves, to each other, or some other omniscient "being", such as three floating eyes.
These intestine-like elements are inspired by Kahraman's research of neuroscience, human immunology and the ability to restructure neural pathways in our brain through gut microbiome, but they also illustrate trauma and the process of healing.
Ultimately, this body of work explores a multitude of ideas that are in equal parts beautiful, playful and unnerving, and yet very much connected stylistically and thematically.
“That's what I found really interesting [during her research], that there's no distinction between my body and my mind,” she says.
“It's all connected. I feel like the microbial world offers that connection. So there are no boundaries.”
Hayv Kahraman’s exhibition, Gut Feelings: Part II, runs at The Third Line Gallery, Alserkal Avenue, until March 24. More information is available at thethirdline.com
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Racecard
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Results
57kg quarter-finals
Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Hamed Al Matari (YEM) by points 3-0.
60kg quarter-finals
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) RSC round 2.
63.5kg quarter-finals
Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Shamlan A Othman (KUW) by points 3-0.
67kg quarter-finals
Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Ahmad Ondash (LBN) by points 2-1.
71kg quarter-finals
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) defeated Lalthasanga Lelhchhun (IND) by points 3-0.
Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Seyed Kaveh Safakhaneh (IRI) by points 3-0.
81kg quarter-finals
Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Ahmad Hilal (PLE) by points 3-0
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
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INDIA SQUAD
Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Fireball
Moscow claimed it hit the largest military fuel storage facility in Ukraine, triggering a huge fireball at the site.
A plume of black smoke rose from a fuel storage facility in the village of Kalynivka outside Kyiv on Friday after Russia said it had destroyed the military site with Kalibr cruise missiles.
"On the evening of March 24, Kalibr high-precision sea-based cruise missiles attacked a fuel base in the village of Kalynivka near Kyiv," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine confirmed the strike, saying the village some 40 kilometres south-west of Kyiv was targeted.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
