Flicking through his sketchbook, David Paskett recalls his days in Dubai as moments. There are the etched lines of a baby in a pushchair on the Metro, a boy feeding seagulls by the Creek, an Emirati man on an abra and some boatbuilders down at the port. This is just one of a handful of sketchbooks Paskett filled during a three-week residency at Majlis Gallery in December 2012 and it was the first stage of his exhibition that is now showing at the gallery until June 12.
“My sketchbook actually starts at the airport in London when I saw a man in a coffee shop with ‘Hope’ written on his carrier bag and then I did some sketches on the plane as we approached Dubai. In fact, the first thing I did when I arrived was a painting.”
Paskett is a British artist who generally works in watercolours and was the president of the Royal Watercolour Society in the United Kingdom from 2009 to 2012. His work varies from realistic renderings of everyday scenes to more abstract wanderings over the canvas and a plethora of work in oils, acrylics, pastels and charcoal.
When Paskett came to Dubai in 2012, it was his first time in the city and he was immediately drawn to the hub of activity on the Creek, which runs adjacent to the gallery’s location in what was then known as Bastakiya but is now the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
“The first night, I was down by the Creek drawing the boats and the boatmen,” he remembers. “It was lovely to be in the middle of Bastakiya and to be able to walk around and immerse myself in the historical parts of the city as well as enjoy the relaxed vibe.”
Paskett then began painting architectural scenes based on the windtower structures and the coral walls that surrounded him, as well as the alleyways and an old school that he stumbled across.
And soon he was selecting views typical to the UAE, such as Emirati men in the coffee shops eating lunch or the latticed screens on the backs of trucks, and emphasising their innate geometric patterns.
All the sketches, photographs and paintings he made while he was here served as the starting point for the paintings that are now on display in the gallery.
What is unusual about Paskett is that his work is divided into quite distinct styles that address his subjects through many different lenses.
A personal favourite is the abstract series, which he describes as “mapping memories”.
In Out of Coral, shapes of mosque domes are somehow paired with those of the fishing nets and while the jutted shapes of the windtowers can be made out in the foreground, the Burj Khalifa spikes through somewhere in the back. The title, a reference to the fact that the city was originally made from coral walls, is also relevant to the mostly blues and greens that gives the piece an aquatic feel.
“These pieces came from trying to depict the feel rather than the exact views of what I saw in Dubai,” he says. “I find myself walking through them; they are a compendium of fragmented memories of the city.”
Others, such as The Old School Room and Palms in the Mirage Garden, depict much more realistic scenes with excellent use of light and shade, while A Square Meal, an aerial view of two men having lunch, is a blend of both. "It was the patterns that struck me about this scene," he says. "The triangles and squares that are found in the floor tiles as well as in the food itself. It is all converging together."
Situated in the heart of historical Dubai and in Majlis Gallery’s charming back gallery, the exhibition is certainly worth taking the time out to ponder upon.
“In the end, I’m not interested in making something that is photographic,” Paskett says. “I’m interested in how it all knits together and because of that I believe my paintings can stand contemplation.”
• Drawn to Dubai: An Exhibition of Watercolours by David Paskett is on display at Majlis Gallery in Dubai until June 12
aseaman@thenational.ae
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If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
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Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Jetour T1 specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
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T10 Cricket League
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons
Tickets available online at q-tickets.com/t10
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- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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
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Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
