If you revisit the Emirati Expressions exhibition at the Emirates Palace before it closes on April 16, you may be surprised to find a colourful new addition to the gallery's inky walls. The work of a highly conceptual new artist with a fondness for neon, perhaps? No, this is the Dream Carpet, the work of a group of young Emirati women who have taken part in a workshop hosted by the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) and the Goethe Institut to engage Emirati women with little or no artistic background in the creative process. Moderated by the German-Egyptian artist Susan Hefuna, and Mizmah, a collective of arts graduates from Zayed University, it forms part of Talking Arts, TDIC's programme of talks, lectures, workshops and events designed to complement the Emirati Expressions exhibition.
"It's about including people," says Hefuna. "The result is their collected dreams." Following a discussion in which the women were encouraged to talk about their dreams and wishes, they spent an afternoon translating their feelings into a concrete form. Scores of felt squares, all brightly daubed with glue, felt, netting and wool, are currently being stitched together to blinding effect. A similar workshop hosted by Hefuna last May, followed by an exhibition at the Ghaf Gallery entitled Life Stories, led to the formation of Mizmah, the group of arts graduates whose work was recently exhibited at the Bastakiya Art Fair in Dubai. One of its members, Mouza al Mazrouei, 24, who is now an interior designer, helped with the carpet workshop.
"Workshops like these are good to break the stereotype of Emirati girls," she said. "It's not just about the usual landscape paintings. Art is more about concept than beauty." The atmosphere was relaxed but productive. All around the room, women were propped up on benches or crouching on the floor, cutting, sewing and gluing. Pop music crackled out of a nearby laptop. "It's a meditative atmosphere," said Hefuna. "Sitting around the table and listening to music. Being only women adds to that."
Dana al Mutawa, 18, is in her first year at Zayed University studying international relations. "I'm interested in art as a hobby, and I do charcoal sketches at home," she said. Her square shows a blue sky dotted with small yellow aeroplanes and shiny silver puffs of cloud. "It's life in the sky. I love aviation and when we were told to think about our dreams, it was the first thing that popped into my head. I'm hoping to become a pilot one day." Her parents are really into art, she said, and like her participating in activities such as this.
Mariam al Mehairi, 19, is also studying international relations at Zayed University and bubbled over with enthusiasm for the workshop. "I love creativity; I have an addiction to creativity," she said. "I love to paint and sew. I like to combine ideas and see them in front of me." She explains that her square - a mass of swirling colour - is not about a single dream, but several, "because I have lots of dreams and ambitions".
Why the need for this push for creativity? "They only have very basic art education in our schools," said Nassim al Majed, a mosaic artist who has two pieces in the Emirati Expressions exhibition and who came along to contribute. "It's really important because young people don't have an idea how to start their talent. This helps them get involved." Al Mehairi thinks the lack of creativity in syllabuses reflects people's disregard for art as a career. "People here don't respect it as a career, not like academia," she said. "There is the mentality that you should go for something hard." However, she has been inspired not only by the workshop but also the Zayed University graduates to incorporate art into her studies.
"I was so proud to see the students who graduated last year. They are so cooperative and creative, and have so many hopes and dreams. They gave me the idea that I can change my major to art or something creative. It doesn't have to be fact." According to Hefuna, such self-expression is as important as the art itself. "It's important for women all over the world to do this, to express themselves like this," she said. "Dreams, fantasies and storytelling are very powerful. No one can tell you what your fantasies are."
The Dream Carpet will be displayed at Gallery One, Emirates Palace hotel, until April 16.