A is for antibodies, B is for blood test, C stands for Covid-19: this is how an Emirati artist with autism reimagined learning the alphabet during the pandemic.
Abdullah Lutfi captured the lives of UAE residents as they dealt with home schooling, isolation and fake news about the virus.
He is known for his distinctive monochrome paintings, and the large canvas is filled with figures in kanduras and abayas.
The engaging work illustrates other aspects of the tumultuous past year, depicting toilet rolls, which were in great demand globally at the start of the outbreak, and representing the upheaval of job losses.
Lutfi, 27, said his favourite sketches are M for “mask”, W for “work from home” and Z for “Zoom bombing”.
Painting has given Abdullah a lot of understanding and perspective of the Covid situation
His art teacher Gulshan Kavarana helped him to complete his latest work.
Lutfi was among several artists left without a place to work when Mawaheb, a studio for adults with special needs, closed last year.
Tashkeel, a gallery in Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, stepped in and gave Lutfi and another artist, Asma Baker, somewhere to work.
The new studio, called Next Chapter, is in Al Fahidi historical district.
It was inaugurated last month by Noura Al Kaabi, the Minister of Culture and Youth, and Hessa Buhumaid, the Minister of Community Development.
Lutfi is thrilled to have space in which to develop his skills.
"It's so good to get back to work in our new studio. I'm happy here," he told The National.
He pointed to canvases he had completed and said he hoped to earn commissions soon.
“The money goes only to me when I sell my work,” he said.
“I am going to save my money for a new car – a Dodge Challenger with a heavy engine, which is a muscle car.”
Kavarana has worked with Lutfi for more than a decade.
“We look for the words together and think of images,” she said.
“Painting has given him a lot of understanding and perspective of the Covid situation. We have tourists coming in with children and it gives them a good understanding too.
“Abdullah didn’t always understand when people talked about the vaccine, but now he does. We talk about it and he draws it.”
Lutfi, who has held solo exhibitions in the country, is working on a collection for a show in Japan.
Baker, 32, presented the UAE ministers with rings she designed.
She also writes stories and poems, and will share them at a community event in Ras Al Khaimah this month.
“I like painting, drawing, making jewellery – it makes me feel at peace with the world,” Baker said. She has an autism spectrum disorder which affects social interaction and communication.
“I like writing. With this new studio, we are looking forward, not looking back.”
Her mother, Sana, said that since the lockdown was eased, Asma has met a few friends from Mawaheb every Thursday to play games, watch TV and read stories.
“We don’t want her to be alone again. She used to be very shy before Mawaheb. Now she is more sociable – she talks with everyone,” she said.
“We don’t want to lose that. We want her to stay engaged and that’s why this new studio is so important.”
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, described both artists as “shining lights” and welcome additions.
“Asma and Abdullah are now at the stage in their careers where they need to spread their wings and truly establish themselves as independent arts practitioners,” she said.
“Since moving to Tashkeel, they have quickly become a vital part of our community.
“The studios in the house they share with four other professional artists are a collective beacon of experimentation and collaboration in the heart of Al Fahidi historical neighbourhood.”
Company%20profile
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Fixtures:
Thursday:
Hatta v Al Jazira, 4.55pm
Al Wasl v Dibba, 7.45pm
Friday:
Al Dhafra v Al Nasr, 5.05pm
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai v Al Wahda, 7.45pm
Saturday:
Ajman v Emirates, 4.55pm
Al Ain v Sharjah, 7.45pm
Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fixtures
Tuesday - 5.15pm: Team Lebanon v Alger Corsaires; 8.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Pharaohs
Wednesday - 5.15pm: Pharaohs v Carthage Eagles; 8.30pm: Alger Corsaires v Abu Dhabi Storms
Thursday - 4.30pm: Team Lebanon v Pharaohs; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Carthage Eagles
Friday - 4.30pm: Pharaohs v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Team Lebanon
Saturday - 4.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Team Lebanon
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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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.
SPECS
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
