Wielding a stylus pen on a computer screen, Emirati artist Abdulla Lutfi has a newfound passion for digital art.
With careful strokes, he brings to life men in kanduras seated near a campfire in the desert.
The 29-year-old artist, who is autistic, is well known in the UAE for sketching striking works using a black marker. His murals take a quirky look at life in the Emirates with Dubai landmarks as a backdrop.
The launch of his maiden NFT collection this week will broaden the reach of his distinctive black and white pieces to a wider audience across the world.
I would say khalli walli to people who don’t understand autism …. autistic people are the good guys
Abdulla Lutfi,
Emirati artist
“For digital, I use a special pen, a special app. I do this in black and white with the iPad,” said Lufti, working in a studio space at Tashkeel in Dubai’s Al Fahidi district.
“That’s how I will become more famous in art.”
Redoing a piece is far easier on the screen. On canvas, he uses a pencil first for large artworks before adding the marker. Now, he goes straight in with his digital stylus — and if he makes a mistake, a quick hit of the erase tab is all it takes to rectify the error.
“I like doing digital,” said Lufti. “Digital art is the best thing that’s ever happened.”
Learning new techniques
Much like an original painting signed by Picasso or Monet is authenticated, crypto art can be verified using an NFT — non-fungible tokens that cannot be replaced, exchanged or replicated as each one is unique.
Lufti understands launching a collection on the NFT art marketplace will help him reach more people and credits his long-time art teacher, Gulshan Kavarana, for readying him to take on a new platform.
Ms Kavarana said moving from canvas to computer screen was not easy and Lufti learnt the finer techniques on how to edit and layer from Tashkeel's office administrator, Zahra Khumri.
“With Abdulla, when you first introduce him to something new, it’s a ‘no’,” she said.
“But once he got it, there was no turning back. He now says this is much easier than canvas and asks us to take only digital commissions.”
Lufti's art is in high demand, with small canvasses starting at $800, large canvasses with detailed work that can sell for $10,000 and commissions for companies fetching up to $35,000.
His collection of about 100 NFTs starts at about $400 per piece.
Working like a digital authenticity certificate, the NFT can be sold similar to physical art increasing its value over time.
Data is stored on a blockchain or massive database where transactions are made using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
“Right now, he is the most sought-after artist, not because of his autism and not because he is Emirati but because he is talented,” said Ms Kavarana, who has worked with him for more than a decade.
He was among a group of artists with special needs at the Mawaheb studio, where Ms Kavarana worked before it closed during the pandemic.
She said she nudged him away from copying anime characters and encouraged him to forge his own style by capturing Emiratis in their traditional attire.
“He has created beautiful collections and people recognise the characters. It has been challenging but also amazing working with him," she said.
“He has a sense of humour. He is really, really funny, he picks up on idiosyncrasies of people and remembers it in drawings.”
Crypto journey
Akshay Gupta, a Dubai businessman and volunteer, also supported Lufti’s journey into crypto space by studying NFTs and advising on the use of online marketplace OpenSea to launch the collection.
“Digital art can be tracked and that is a big advantage for the artist as it allows them to get a commission every time the art work is resold,” he said.
“You can see the current ownership, how many hands it has changed. It actually gives joy to the artist to know how many people have bought it.
“Abdulla is a very special artist and is the first Emirati autistic artist to go into the NFT digital world, for sure.”
There has been a surge in interest in the non-conventional art, with the first NFT-based work sold by Christie’s auction house last year setting a world record for a digital art piece at $69 million.
Word of Lufti's talent has spread and he is being invited to host workshops with enthusiasts keen to learn his style.
His new series shows fast cars tailgating on UAE motorways, boisterous children in parks and parents having meltdowns trying to discipline kids.
The title of his NFT collection, 'Khalli Walli', is drawn from colloquial speech.
Lufti explains the word is equivalent to ‘forget it’ or ‘drop it’.
Asked to use the term in a sentence, he said: “I would say khalli walli to people who don’t understand autism …. autistic people are the good guys.”
Tourists and residents can view and purchase Lufti's works at the Next Chapter in Tashkeel, open from Monday to Thursday from 9am to 2pm.
His NFT collection will open on Tuesday at the Time Out Market at Souq al Bahar in Dubai at 3pm and can be accessed on https://opensea.io/abdullalutfi
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Masters%20of%20the%20Air
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Brief scores:
Juventus 3
Dybala 6', Bonucci 17', Ronaldo 63'
Frosinone 0
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ATP RANKINGS (NOVEMBER 4)
1. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 9,585 pts ( 1)
2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 8,945 (-1)
3. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,190
4. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 5,705
5. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 5,025
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4,000 ( 1)
7. Alexander Zverev (GER) 2,945 (-1)
8. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 2,670 ( 1)
9. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,540 ( 1)
10. Gaël Monfils (FRA) 2,530 ( 3)
11. David Goffin (BEL) 2,335 ( 3)
12. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,290
13. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 2,180 (-2)
14. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2,125 ( 1)
15. Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 2,050 ( 13)
16. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 2,000
17. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 1,840 (-9)
18. Alex De Minaur (AUS) 1,775
19. John Isner (USA) 1,770 (-2)
20. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 1,747 ( 7)
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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
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
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
More on animal trafficking
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE-based players
Goodlands Riders: Jamshaid Butt, Ali Abid, JD Mahesh, Vibhor Shahi, Faizan Asif, Nadeem Rahim
Rose Hill Warriors: Faraz Sheikh, Ashok Kumar, Thabreez Ali, Janaka Chathuranga, Muzammil Afridi, Ameer Hamza
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
UAE rugby season
FIXTURES
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers v Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Division 1
Dubai Sharks v Dubai Hurricanes II
Al Ain Amblers v Dubai Knights Eagles II
Dubai Tigers II v Abu Dhabi Saracens
Jebel Ali Dragons II v Abu Dhabi Harlequins II
Sharjah Wanderers v Dubai Exiles II
LAST SEASON
West Asia Premiership
Winners – Bahrain
Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership
Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners – Dubai Hurricanes
Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Conference
Winners – Dubai Tigers
Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
