With scrawling motions and layered intentions all across the canvas, it is easy to feel dizzied by any one of Aisha Juma’s paintings. A portion of the Emirati artist’s works are dominated by a whirl of vertiginous brushstrokes, limited to black and white hues. Then there are the pieces that feature swathes of empty spaces encroaching on vibrant splattered paints and watercolours.
The two types of paintings inhabit opposing polarities. So much so that it may even seem that they were created by two different painters. And in a way that is true, as Juma says the works have come from two different places within her.
“The paintings are a product of me reflecting on the masculine and feminine qualities within me; qualities that are present in each one of us,” Juma explains.
“The paintings are part of a long road of self-discovery, of meditation and therapy. I’d use only my left hand when painting from my female side, following my female energy. When painting from my inner masculinity, I’d paint only using my right hand and in black and white colours.”
The paintings will be exhibited during the Playing Light, Playing Dark musical performance at The Theatre at Mall of the Emirates on Saturday in commemoration of International Women's Day.
Juma says she was inspired by the meditation retreats she takes every year as a way for her to rekindle the connection to herself and her environment.
It all began in 2002, after she quit her job as an art teacher, seeking to understand the corrosion of creativity that seemed to grip her students as they grew older.
At that point, the Emirati artist had been teaching art across government schools in Dubai for 14 years since graduating from the College of Fine Arts at Helwan University in Cairo. Feeling disheartened by her former students' loss of interest in art, she decided to look for an alternative educational approach. Then, she discovered the Montessori Method.
Developed by Italian physician Maria Montessori in the early 1900s, the education method encourages psychological self-construction in children and developing adults via a mindful interaction with their environments. The method advocates independence, believing that if children are permitted to choose and act freely within an environment, they are more likely to experience optimal physical and psychological development.
“It’s about seeing life through the senses, recognising the information we process through sight, smell, sound, taste and touch,” Juma says. “It’s not just an education method, but a philosophy of being mindful of what we perceive.”
Soon after discovering the method, Juma enrolled in a Dubai centre to understand its intricacies, as well as to learn how to apply it in a classroom. She became so taken by the ideas of mindfulness behind the method that she soon found herself applying them to other aspects of her life, including her art practice.
“It’s found its way into everything I do,” she says. “It’s an interesting method in education and a beautiful way of looking at life.”
The concept of the performance was developed as a collaboration between music and the visual arts
It also inspired her to start taking annual meditation excursions, travelling to India, Europe and South America. Sometimes she'd paint during her trips. Other times, she'd paint upon her return.
The paintings on display during the Playing Light, Playing Dark concert were all created as a by-product of these retreats. The idea to have the works in conversation with music, Juma says, came from Jordanian-Turkish pianist Tala Tutunji, who Juma had worked with years ago as art director at Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children.
“She wanted to bring something new to her concert and so she thought to bring a visual artist into the fold,” Juma says. “When she invited me, I was totally open to the idea.”
Tutunji says she was taken by Juma's works because they seemed to reflect the "light and darkness of the inner self".
“The concept of the performance was developed as a collaboration between music and the visual arts,” Tutunji says. “It won’t be like a typical art gallery followed by a concert. It’s going to be an integrated experience. We’re going to have a musical performance, but it will also showcase different artworks by Juma.”
The setlist for the performance, Tutunji says, will blend compositions from western classical and Arabic music, as well as songs from musical theatre. Besides Tutunji, the performance will feature French-Lebanese singer Corinne Metni and Syrian guitarist Feras Rada.
Each song will mirror the emotions and energy of individual paintings by Juma, which will be projected on to the stage during the performance as well as on empty canvases in the space outside the venue.
“Some pieces will be lively and will reflect her lighter works, whereas other pieces will be quite dark and will be presented along with the dark paintings,” Tutunji explains.
The performance is a meeting point for three female artists from different cultures, making it an especially significant way of marking International Women’s Day, Tutunji adds.
The performance, Juma says, is also meant to commemorate the feminine qualities within each and every one of us, regardless of gender.
"It is nice that Feras [Rada] is joining us because we believe that feminine energy is not exclusive to women. Every human being has both sides, male and female, within them."
Tickets to Playing Light, Playing Dark are from Dh100 and can be purchased from dubai.platinumlist.net
Meydan race card
6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
7.05pm: Handicap Dh 185,000 2,000m
7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap Dh 190,000 1,400m
8.50pm: Handicap Dh 175,000 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap Dh 175,000 1,200m
10pm: Handicap Dh 165,000 1,600m
The years Ramadan fell in May
The%20specs
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Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
What is an ETF?
An exchange traded fund is a type of investment fund that can be traded quickly and easily, just like stocks and shares. They come with no upfront costs aside from your brokerage's dealing charges and annual fees, which are far lower than on traditional mutual investment funds. Charges are as low as 0.03 per cent on one of the very cheapest (and most popular), Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, with the maximum around 0.75 per cent.
There is no fund manager deciding which stocks and other assets to invest in, instead they passively track their chosen index, country, region or commodity, regardless of whether it goes up or down.
The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five largest providers BlackRock’s iShares, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisers, Deutsche Bank X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
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McIlroy's struggles in 2016/17
European Tour: 6 events, 16 rounds, 5 cuts, 0 wins, 3 top-10s, 4 top-25s, 72,5567 points, ranked 16th
PGA Tour: 8 events, 26 rounds, 6 cuts, 0 wins, 4 top-10s, 5 top-25s, 526 points, ranked 71st
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
The Light of the Moon
Director: Jessica M Thompson
Starring: Stephanie Beatriz, Michael Stahl-David
Three stars
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
Results
Stage 4
1. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma 04:16:13
2. Gaviria (COL) UAE Team Emirates
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe
4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal
General Classification:
1. Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 16:46:15
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
3. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 0:01:35
4. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40
5. Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Honeymoonish
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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
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: Dh898,000
On sale: now
Company%20profile
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MATCH INFO
Norwich City 1 (Cantwell 75') Manchester United 2 (Aghalo 51' 118') After extra time.
Man of the match Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
