What does a conversation look like?
My hour-long chat with artist and musician Faris Badwan touches on the creative process, past relationships and perceptions of Dubai. We delve into the inexplicable nature of human connections, the role of the subconscious and how we have both been affected by the pandemic. And all the while, he paints.
Badwan has spent the past year working on a project called Call and Response. The resultant artworks were presented in an exhibition at Dubai’s Masterpiece Fine Art gallery last month, as part of Badwan’s first showcase outside of Europe.
Born in the midst of extended lockdowns in his native UK, the body of work hones in on the freestyle, subconscious expressions of creativity that emerge when the brain is engaged in something else, such as a phone call.
“I’ve always been interested in the looseness and natural feeling of the drawings you make when you’re on the phone – when your mind is completely clear and you are having a conversation, but meanwhile, your hand is engaged in some parallel dialogue,” he explains.
Badwan, who is also the lead vocalist of alternative rock band The Horrors, found himself reaching out to friends and acquaintances, but also to people he didn’t really know or had met online. While talking to them on the phone, he would paint, creating abstract works that would map the ebb and flow of each conversation.
“I didn’t want a literal representation of the conversation on paper because that wouldn’t be coming from that hypnotic, completely meditative place. I wanted it to be natural and loose and coming from the subconscious.
"But what I find really interesting is that parts of the conversation would make their way into the pictures, but often in a less literal way than you would expect,” says Badwan, who is half English and half Palestinian.
Each piece is a reflection of the artist – influenced by his thoughts, feelings and even mood on any given day – as well as the person he is speaking to and what is being said. They are intrinsically of their time, since so many of us yearned for human connection during the pandemic and relied so heavily on our phones to interact with others.
The conversations are never stage-managed; Badwan lets them flow naturally and thrives on not really knowing where they might end up. “I value uncertainty,” he says. “I feel like I am at my creative best when I am reacting to something, rather than directing it.”
And once the conversation is finished, the piece is done. Badwan will not disrupt the purity of the work by revisiting or polishing it.
Sometimes the conversations are awkward or stilted, sometimes they are heated, sometimes superficial, but largely not. But does he ever just end up talking about the weather?
“I don’t spend a lot of my life talking about the weather,” he retorts. “The conversations do often end up being quite deep, but obviously it’s a two-way thing and some people just aren’t willing to engage on that level. I have to rein in that part of myself sometimes, because people just don’t want it.”
And is silence good or bad, I ask, when, at one point, our conversation falls into a natural lull. “Silence is just silence,” he responds.
Luckily, he likes talking to people, particularly those he doesn’t know. “I am interested in what motivates people and what excites them and drives them. Even if I don’t identify with them personally.”
He says that if he hadn’t pursued art and music, he would have liked to go into psychotherapy, and it is notable that he has found a way to integrate his fascination with the human brain into his work.
Call and Response has morphed into an exploration of human connections – how people engage and interact and how that experience, coupled with external factors such as location, are processed by the subconscious mind.
“It began as trying to find that loose hypnotic place that I’ve always loved, and then it has all these other aspects to it because of the circumstances,” Badwan says.
To coincide with the Dubai exhibition, Badwan spent a month in the emirate and found that this change of setting also influenced his output.
“Since being in Dubai, the work has changed. It’s becoming so much more structural, probably because I am fascinated by the architecture here. When I look at the work I’ve done in Dubai, it looks like code or networks. I didn’t really foresee that.”
I receive the artwork that Badwan created during our call a couple of weeks later. It is full, colourful and expressive. I try to play back our conversation and track it on the page. Because somewhere in among the vibrant symbols, sweeps and smudges, is me, or at least a version of me, filtered through Badwan’s subconscious mind.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AIR
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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
RESULTS
Welterweight
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) beat Mostafa Radi (PAL)
(Unanimous points decision)
Catchweight 75kg
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) beat Leandro Martins (BRA)
(Second round knockout)
Flyweight (female)
Manon Fiorot (FRA) beat Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
(RSC in third round)
Featherweight
Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB) beat Ahmed Al Darmaki
(Disqualification)
Lightweight
Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) beat Rey Nacionales (PHI)
(Unanimous points)
Featherweight
Yousef Al Housani (UAE) beat Mohamed Fargan (IND)
(TKO first round)
Catchweight 69kg
Jung Han-gook (KOR) beat Max Lima (BRA)
(First round submission by foot-lock)
Catchweight 71kg
Usman Nurmogamedov (RUS) beat Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
(TKO round 1).
Featherweight title (5 rounds)
Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
(TKO round 1).
Lightweight title (5 rounds)
Bruno Machado (BRA) beat Mike Santiago (USA)
(RSC round 2).
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
Company%20profile
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Scoreline
Germany 2
Werner 9', Sane 19'
Netherlands 2
Promes 85', Van Dijk 90'
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
India Test squad
Virat Kohli (c), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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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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Company%20Profile
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The five pillars of Islam
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
GOODBYE%20JULIA
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