Portraiture is not a hip genre. But Spanish-Moroccan artist Anuar Khalifi thinks there is life in it yet.
His paintings from the past few years revive the practice, replacing its typical European subjects with a young Moroccan man in a red fez or roomy jelaaba. He sits, knees spread casually apart, impression implacable, as if awaiting his subjects.
“The genre chose me,” says Khalifi. “Every time I visit museums, I feel attracted to portraits – but I don’t see figures that look like myself in those historical portraits. Before, some paintings of mine had a different energy, lots of movement. But now I keep it simple. If you want to ask big questions, you need a simple response.”
Khalifi’s works are on view online as part of Palimpsest, his show for The Third Line gallery, which is running until Friday, July 30. And his shift towards a fresher representation is elegantly done: gone are the stuffy, heavy colours and crowded picture planes of Northern European portrayals. In its place are the colours of the Moroccan landscape that he grew up visiting each year: sunny blues, lush greens and deep ochre reds.
But the artist preserves the classic composition of the portrait – and its essential weirdness: the sedentary pose in which sitters wait while the study is being made, and the accoutrements in the background that signal status, character traits or identity, all awkwardly placed around the subject.
In Baba the Butcher and Gardener (2019), a man in a fez and white apron sits on a chair on a patterned rug, a knife on his lap. The rug suggests a Middle Eastern context, as does the fez – but the title mocks any desire to make sense of it. Butcher? Gardener? Or maybe neither – paper-cutter?
In Safi Safari (2021), a man in pointed yellow slippers leans back, a snowy crested mountain behind him. He wears a flak jacket and wide-brimmed safari hat over his striped thobe, and a blue-and-white china vase in the corner shows two horses, their bodies pierced with arrows.
The variables at play are clear – colonialism, violence, identity – but how they stack up is not. Though Khalifi professes to have a simple solution to the question of representation, he is also at work confusing the viewer, using elements as visual distractions – such as a series in which he replaced his subjects’ noses with red triangles – or adding hermetic Sufi symbols.
“Paintings reveal themselves years later,” he says. “Not everything has to have meaning. And when we don't know the meaning we get confused, like it’s a trick, or a menace. But in the end, I am just showing you things, the viewer has to decide what he sees.”
Khalifi grew up in a small town in the Costa Brava region of Spain, north of Barcelona. The stretch of Mediterranean coast's main claim to cultural fame is being the birthplace of Salvador Dali – now commemorated in a museum that is almost an artwork in itself.
Khalifi had no formal training as an artist, but was always sketching, even through his thirties, when he worked as a DJ.
Like many immigrants of the Arab diaspora, Khalifi says he feels neither fully Spanish nor fully Moroccan – a fuzziness around identity that it is tempting to see in his work’s fascination with inscrutability. But for him, shifts in identity are also part of a historical process. He researches images of the Muslim world from old books, archives and the internet, as well as from his family’s personal collection.
He then updates these forms to bring them new life. An old black-and-white photograph of Moroccan King Hassan II and Queen Elizabeth II dining together appears in Palimpsest (2021), the titular work from his latest show. The two royals are painted into a canvas that hangs over the shoulder of a man holding flowers; both his king and the imagined man wearing the jaunty fez.
The painting’s title likewise nods to this idea: it refers to the practice where something is written over existing text, so that a shadow of the original peeps through. Even the fez, while it might appear to be a clear symbol of his subjects’ Arab identity, masks a high degree of flux.
“The fez is probably the last piece of clothing that the Muslims were using, in romantic photos of the past,” he says. “The fez was last worn in the 1950s, and then in Morocco it became a nationalist choice. The fez was even banned, at a certain point, and in the western view it became something to mock, like it’s a funny hat.”
In Khalifi's portraits it is somewhere between a marker of identity and a shock of red, one of a number of conical elements in the paintings. The works have a placid equilibrium that is all the more surprising in comparison to his earlier material, where every painting, he says, "was an act of vengeance".
Now in his forties, he says he's relaxed, taking stock of a historical field that has excluded him.
“Every piece of art is connected with every other piece of art. It’s a conversation – so I put myself in the conversation. Like: I'm here. Especially figurative art from a person from my background, it’s very rare.”
But he also contests the idea that the figure in his works is strictly autobiographical. His paintings’ meaning, he says, emerges form the conversation among the objects he surrounds the subjects with, drawn both from the Muslim world and his own reservoir: the personal and yet sadly shared territory of conflict over belonging in the Mediterranean.
Palimpsest is in The Third Line’s Online Viewing Room until Friday, July 30
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
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The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Match info:
Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
Company%20Profile
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PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Brief scores:
Day 2
England: 277 & 19-0
West Indies: 154
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
