Logs of tan-coloured driftwood lie scattered in Huzefa Goga’s studio office in Al Qusais, Dubai.
One of the few aquascaping artists in the UAE, Goga, 37, is busy slicing and glueing together pieces of driftwood to create his latest planted underwater landscape.
Titled Twists of Nature, as an ode to the knotted roots of trees, this aquascape will be adorned with aquatic plants, rocks and freshwater fish in a bid to emulate the river beds found amid forest trails.
“Aquascapes are living artworks built in water, where plants and fish co-exist in harmony. I recreate a natural landscape in an indoor space, which then grows and evolves over time,” says Goga.
These underwater tank gardens, carpeted with coloured pebbles and replete with rich foliage, marine life and even miniature mountains, caves and waterfalls, are live ecosystems. A step up from plastic plants and goldfish in a bowl, aquascapes are capturing people’s attention worldwide, and make for an aesthetic addition to one's living spaces.
Goga, who studied architecture and runs an industrial machinery business in the UAE, was inspired by Japanese aquascaping artist Takashi Amano.
“I made my first aquascape in 2014. From then on, it’s been a self-learning process. I mostly delve into experiences from my travels, books, movies and from my inner world to curate my tanks,” he explains.
Each aquascape is unique and bespoke, and can be customised as per buyer preferences. The artist’s last exhibition, called Nature and Me, for instance, featured aquascapes such as Miles to Go, which depicted a mini forest with a trail between mountains inspired by Robert Frost's poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening; Falling Waters, which showcased a waterfall in a tank and was named after a house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright; and We are the World and Redemption, which reflected Goga’s inner turmoil and how aquascaping helped him overcome it.
His creative process, then, starts with a theme that Goga researches online or in books to arrive at a visual landscape image he wants to create. He then starts sourcing material from vendors across the globe. Each tank is imported from Japan, and made of handcrafted low iron sapphire crystal glass, which is known for its high visibility. Tanks can range from 30 centimetres by 30cm to 800cm x 1,000cm.
It takes Goga up to one month to complete a tank. “Everything in the tank is sustainably sourced including the driftwood, which comes from Indonesia, Japan and Sri Lanka,” he says. “I also layer in lava rocks that are excellent for aquatic plants to grip on. Some of the rocks used are sourced from Ras Al Khaimah.
"I need to also keep a check on the limestone content as that can raise the pH level in the water.” A layer of substrate is added before the aqua soil to help cultivate the beneficial bacteria needed for plants to thrive.
Aquatic plants, obtained from tissue culture laboratories in Denmark, add to the greenery in Huzefa’s tanks. “You will find anubias from Western Africa with broad thick dark leaves; tropical bucephalandras that grow on stones and rocks; and bolbitis ferns and hygrophila pinnatifida, with their distinct reddish hued-leaves,” he says.
The fish are introduced towards the end. Goga prefers cardinal, neon and rummy-nose tetras, plus rainbow fish or guppies. Snails and shrimps are also a part of the floating fauna as they help keep a tab on the algae in an aquascape. The open-topped tanks are fitted with overhead lights and carbon dioxide cylinders that aid in plant photosynthesis.
“Patience and attention to detail are key in designing a great aquascape. It is, in fact, a combination of art and science. Aquascapers need to be mindful of the ecological environment of their tanks,” says Goga, who charges from Dh4,000 ($1,089) to Dh90,000 depending on the size and detailing of each tank. Upkeep includes replacing the water every week and trimming the plants when required.
In addition to showcasing his creations at various gallery exhibitions, Goga plans to open a permanent gallery space in Dubai to display his aquascapes.
Lost for hours and days adding details in his tanks, he says making aquascapes is extremely therapeutic. “I am so immersed in my tanks that I lose track of time, sometimes even days and nights. It's like giving birth to a child, and the beauty of it is you see the leaves take deeper hues and the fish change colour, even as the plants spread their roots wide.”
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Ford Mustang GT
Price, base / as tested: Dh204,750 / Dh241,500
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque: 569Nm @ 4,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.3L / 100km
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FIGHT CARD
Welterweight Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Tohir Zhuraev (TJK)
Catchweight 75kg Leandro Martins (BRA) v Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Flyweight Corinne Laframboise (CAN) v Manon Fiorot (FRA)
Featherweight Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB)
Lightweight Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) v Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG)
Featherweight Yousef Al Housani (UAE) v Mohamed Arsharq Ali (SLA)
Catchweight 69kg Jung Han-gook (KOR) v Elias Boudegzdame (ALG)
Catchweight 71kg Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
Featherweight title Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
Lightweight title Bruno Machado (BRA) v Mike Santiago (USA)
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
more from Janine di Giovanni
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India squad for fourth and fifth Tests
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Shaw, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur, Vihari
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
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
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
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SERIE A FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Roma v Udinese (5pm)
SPAL v Napoli (8pm)
Juventus v Torino (10.45pm)
Sunday
Sampdoria v AC Milan (2.30pm)
Inter Milan v Genoa (5pm)
Crotone v Benevento (5pm)
Verona v Lazio (5pm)
Cagliari v Chievo (5pm)
Sassuolo v Bologna (8pm)
Fiorentina v Atalanta (10.45pm)
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
Teaching in coronavirus times
Results
STAGE
1 . Filippo Ganna (Ineos) - 0:13:56
2. Stefan Bissegger (Education-Nippo) - 0:00:14
3. Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:21
4. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:24
5. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) - 0:00:30
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 4:00:05
2. Joao Almeida (QuickStep) - 0:00:05
3. Mattia Cattaneo (QuickStep) - 0:00:18
4. Chris Harper (Jumbo-Visma) - 0:00:33
5. Adam Yates (Ineos) - 0:00:39
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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