“Van Cleef & Arpels is all about the stories, so for me, it’s been a kind of transition from just being an artist that presents a few lines of words, to being an artist that presents stories,” explains Emirati calligrapher Maryam Al Balooshi.
She is speaking of her recent collaboration with the storied French jewellery house for which she created a series of three unique artworks for Ramadan.
“I was approached at the end of 2018 about this conversation between a calligrapher and a jewellery brand. It was a new experience, and I had to take it to learn and grow, so I accepted.”
Al Balooshi is an engineer and author, as well as a respected calligrapher, and is well known in the UAE for her unique style of using coloured inks.
Having been fascinated by calligraphy as a child, and a dedicated student throughout high school, Al Balooshi suddenly stopped in 2003. “I quit for six years. I didn’t do anything, not even hold a pen. I thought it was the end of that journey for me.
"But when something is inside you, it keeps knocking on the door, and when I went back to calligraphy, my teacher said that I needed to decide. Did I want to be just a normal calligrapher, or did I want to be a designer? I told him I want to be a designer.”
For those outside the world of lettering, the difference between the two is subtle, but critical.
A calligrapher faithfully copies the work of others, emulating the style and technique. A designer, however, creates his or her own unique style, and finds their own visual "voice". That Al Balooshi had her sights set on being a designer elevated her into another realm. "It needs a lot of patience and work, you can't just do it all at once. It takes years.
“In calligraphy, we don’t mix the colours; it’s a one-stroke shot, and you need to be strong and confident to do it. When you look at the gradient [of colour] you can tell if the calligrapher is a strong person or not. That’s why people don’t like to use colour, it will show your weaknesses.”
Despite the difficultly of working exclusively in coloured inks (“I wear an abaya, I already know all about black,” she says, with a laugh), she is adamant this best expresses her work. Using tools called bamboos, dipped in ink, each letter is made using bold arcs, in merely one sweep. “Each tool needs practise before you can use it properly. I can do all the lettering in one day, but it takes months of finishing.”
That includes making sure each line is balanced and perfect, removing any excess with a small, but extremely sharp knife. For this, steady nerves and hand are required. “You have to be very relaxed, because you don’t touch the paper, you touch the ink,” she explains.
Of the finished artworks with Van Cleef & Arpels, Al Balooshi is happy with the results and is looking forward to sharing it with Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah.
“He is the father of calligraphy here, he built the museum of calligraphy, and the institute. He is a calligrapher himself, and I have been told he has a studio in his palace and he prepares his own ink. So he understands the work that goes into each piece. I can assure you I am not the best calligrapher in the UAE, but I am confident that I have my own way of designing,” she explains.
The story behind her Van Cleef & Arpels pieces ...
When the project with Van Cleef & Arpels began in earnest, Al Balooshi confesses to initially feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of teaming up with such a big international company.
In calligraphy, when you look at the gradient [of colour] you can tell if the calligrapher is a strong person or not. That's why people don't like to use colour, it will show your weaknesses
“It was scary in the beginning, but I knew that Van Cleef were perfectionists and cared about the details, so in this we shared a common ground. They began sharing with me stories about the jewellery and I started to connect to their minds. Art is not about the final pieces, but about the whole process – from the first idea to the final piece. It is a journey.
"Van Cleef & Arpels said it wanted to do something new for the region, and not the typical card of the Moon for Ramadan, and I said I was very happy to think about it differently, because Ramadan is not just about the Moon and the stars. I said ‘let's think about the meaning of the holy month, and the meanings and values.’
“I started to ask my friends about the values of Ramadan they love the most, while I learnt about the Van Cleef story. We found a lot of similarity in the values of love, friendship, kindness. When they think about their jewellery, they think about the feelings and the stories."
The work she has created for Van Cleef is three original art pieces, entitled Ramadan, Eid Mubarak and Flowers of Values.
Ramadan is a sweep of green, in cursive, flowing lines that carry the viewer on a journey around the page. Soft and enveloping, it is as inviting and encompassing as one would expect of a tribute to the holy month.
Eid Mubarak, meanwhile, is in earthen brown, held in two golden circles, stacked above each other. With the letters curling to fill the space, it feels warm and comforting. Underneath is a flourish of the same green.
The third artwork is perhaps the most intriguing, coming in the form of a stylised flower. Called the Flowers of Values, it was, Al Balooshi explains, the most challenging to create.
"Normally as an artist, I just lock myself in my studio, but to have a collaboration took a lot of talking to reach understanding and agreement. We had a lot of discussion and exchanges. We started with 38 values and ended up with 12. It took a long time to come to an agreement, because as an artist, I have to feel it, but it's about people getting together, to connect."
Divided into couplets that read Love & Happiness, Togetherness & One Community, Caring & Family, Balance & Harmony, Giving & Kindness, Light & Positivity, a lot of work went into making sure this was absolutely the right wording.
“The difficult part was the Arabic wording,” Al Balooshi explains. “I had to translate it to English, but sometimes that didn’t reflect the ideas. So, understanding the two languages was a challenge, and to find words that were similar. In Arabic, words have different meanings, so we had to be very careful and that took a long time.”
With the wording finalised, it was then left to Al Balooshi to translate them into artwork.
"In calligraphy, especially in colours, it needs a lot of patience, detail and time invested in each piece. Working with colours is not easy. You need to keep the pattern, you need to keep the lines, and it's the same with jewellery. It's all about the same detail."
Dust and sand storms compared
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
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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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
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
MOTHER%20OF%20STRANGERS
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
How Alia's experiment will help humans get to Mars
Alia’s winning experiment examined how genes might change under the stresses caused by being in space, such as cosmic radiation and microgravity.
Her samples were placed in a machine on board the International Space Station. called a miniPCR thermal cycler, which can copy DNA multiple times.
After the samples were examined on return to Earth, scientists were able to successfully detect changes caused by being in space in the way DNA transmits instructions through proteins and other molecules in living organisms.
Although Alia’s samples were taken from nematode worms, the results have much bigger long term applications, especially for human space flight and long term missions, such as to Mars.
It also means that the first DNA experiments using human genomes can now be carried out on the ISS.
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- 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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MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees
Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme
Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks
Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets
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
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
EMILY%20IN%20PARIS%3A%20SEASON%203
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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.
The biog
Name: Capt Shadia Khasif
Position: Head of the Criminal Registration Department at Hatta police
Family: Five sons and three daughters
The first female investigator in Hatta.
Role Model: Father
She believes that there is a solution to every problem
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Scorline
Iraq 1-0 UAE
Iraq Hussein 28’
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
1 Man City 26 20 3 3 63 17 63
2 Liverpool 25 17 6 2 64 20 57
3 Chelsea 25 14 8 3 49 18 50
4 Man Utd 26 13 7 6 44 34 46
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5 West Ham 26 12 6 8 45 34 42
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6 Arsenal 23 13 3 7 36 26 42
7 Wolves 24 12 4 8 23 18 40
8 Tottenham 23 12 4 8 31 31 39
Read more about the coronavirus
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
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: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
The five pillars of Islam
